IRCTC website down, here’s How to book or cancel train tickets

The IRCTC has confirmed that the website and app are down due to maintenance activities. This is the second such instance in December that users are facing difficulties in booking tickets online. 

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), an online ticket booking platform for Indian railways, is down due to maintenance activities, on Thursday. Passengers across the country are not able to access the IRCTC website or mobile application. Downtracker, a website that tracks outages of websites, shows 2,500 reports of the site being down.

The IRCTC has confirmed the outage. The website was showing a message that read, "Due to maintenance activity, e-ticketing service will not be available. Please try later." This is the second such instance in December when the IRCTC portal has faced such an outage, raising concern among regular users. 

IRCTC down: How to book train tickets

Now, if you need to book train tickets in India during outages, here are some of the helpful alternatives available for you:

1. IRCTC mobile app

• Download the IRCTC Rail Connect app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
• Use the app to search for trains and book tickets.

2. Authorized Agents

• Visit an IRCTC-authorized ticket booking agent or a travel agency near you.
• Provide them with your travel details to book tickets.

3. Railway station counters

•  Visit the nearest railway reservation counter.
• Fill out the reservation form and book your tickets in person.

4. Third-party apps and websites

Use trusted third-party platforms like:

• Paytm
• MakeMyTrip
• ConfirmTkt
• RedBus

These platforms are often linked with the IRCTC system and can book train tickets.

5. Call 139 (Indian Railways Enquiry)

• Dial 139, the Indian Railways helpline number.
• You can inquire about train availability and book tickets via their IVR or agent assistance.

6. Post office

• Some post offices in India offer train ticket booking services.
• Visit your nearest post office that has this facility.

7. Tatkal and Emergency Quotas

• If the travel is urgent, passengers are advised to book tickets under the Tatkal scheme or check for emergency quotas at the station.

Tips

• The passenger should ensure that they carry valid ID proof for ticket booking.
• In cases of urgent travel, passengers are advised to keep alternative travel modes (bus, flight) in mind if tickets are unavailable.

Alternative methods to cancel or reschedule train tickets 

IRCTC issued another advisory suggesting that passengers who wanted to cancel or reschedule their tickets have two options; contact customer service or send mail.

The contact details shared by IRCTC for cancellation assistance are as follows:

• Customer Care Numbers: 14646, 08044647999, 08035734999
• Email: etickets@irctc.co.in

The outages of whether Indian Railways needs better infrastructure, always spark debate about the availability of critical online services in India, while underscoring the need for better digital infrastructure supporting the vast consumer base. 

The passengers expressed their concerns over the lack of communication from the organization's side. Several users shared their aggression on social media platforms urging the corporation to address the issue promptly.

One user tagged the railway minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and wrote, “Please make a reel on trying to login to IRCTC portal at 10 AM for Tatkal ticket.”

A second user wrote,  "Please make a reel on trying to login to IRCTC portal at 10 AM for Tatkal ticket."

“It is 10:11 am... still IRCTC is not opening... IRCTC should be enquired and checked... definitely, scams are happening. By the time it opens all the tickets are gone... @AshwiniVaishnaw @irctc,” a third user wrote.