IRCTC Website Down Amid Chhath Puja Ticket Rush

As millions of people tried to book train tickets to travel home for Chhath Puja, the Indian Railways ticketing website IRCTC and its mobile app went down once again. A large number of users reported that the website and app were not working, affecting the booking of immediate tickets on Saturday morning. This is the second time in ten days that the IRCTC platform has faced a crash. Earlier, in the first week before Diwali, the booking site was also down for several hours.

Problems in Both App and Website

According to the internet outage tracking website Downdetector, over 180 complaints were reported around 10 AM today about IRCTC services not functioning. Data shows that 51 per cent of users faced issues with the app, while 46 per cent reported problems on the website. The remaining 3 per cent experienced errors during the booking process. The graph clearly showed a sudden rise in complaints after 10 AM, indicating a system crash. Although the railway authorities have not issued an official statement yet, IRCTC is responding to users on its X (formerly Twitter) handle.

Passengers Express Frustration on Social Media

After the IRCTC website went down, passengers took to social media platform X to express their anger. One user wrote that the website went completely offline just when immediate booking was supposed to start. Another shared that they had been trying to book an AC ticket for the past three days, but the server kept failing each time.

System Fails at Booking Time

As per railway rules, immediate ticket booking for AC class starts at 10 AM, while non-AC class booking opens at 11 AM. This means the server went down at the exact time when millions of users were logging in. Many passengers shared screenshots of both the website and app, pointing out that such problems occur repeatedly during festivals, but the railways have not implemented a permanent solution.

System Also Down Before Diwali

This is the second time in ten days that the IRCTC platform has stopped working. Previously, the website was down for several hours just before Diwali, forcing people to wait overnight to book tickets. During festival seasons, the demand for railway tickets rises several times, but the IRCTC site often fails under this pressure.

Offline Tickets Are an Option

Several passengers advised each other on social media that if online booking fails, they should visit the nearest PRS counter to book tickets offline. The railways have also assured users that the website and app will soon resume normal operations.