Indian Railways has launched the beta version of its new and upgraded IRCTC website today. Last month, during a visit to the Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) in Jaipur, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the revamped IRCTC website would be launched in July.
Why is the new update necessary?
According to the Ministry of Railways, this new IRCTC beta website will offer users a fresh look and a completely new experience. Additionally, users will be able to provide feedback on its features and the overall user experience.
The current IRCTC website was launched in 2002 and currently handles 1.45 million (14.5 lakh) train ticket bookings daily, making it one of the country’s busiest online ticketing platforms. Consequently, improving the user experience has been a major priority for the Railways.
What changes will the new website bring?
According to the Railways, four major improvements have been made in the beta version:
- Excessive CAPTCHA prompts have been eliminated. Furthermore, unnecessary pop-ups, flashing graphics, and distracting elements have been removed.
- Seat availability across all classes will now be visible simultaneously.
- The booking process has been expedited, with a reduction in the number of steps required to book a ticket.
- Passenger details will be saved, making repeat bookings easier.
Easier Tatkal bookings
According to reports, the new IRCTC website is designed to process approximately 150,000 (1.5 lakh) ticket bookings per minute. This will reduce the server load during Tatkal bookings, enabling users to book Tatkal tickets more easily than before.
The new beta website can be accessed via the link https://www.irctc.co.in/eticket/. A link to it is also provided on the homepage of the current website. According to the Railways, this new website will also be integrated with the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) in the coming days. Since the reservation engine is simultaneously being upgraded, the Railways states that this process may take some time; however, once completed, the fully functional new IRCTC portal will be available to users.
