IRCTC website crashes during Tatkal hours as travelers are stranded amid New Year chaos
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website and mobile app experienced a major outage on the morning of December 31, disrupting ticket bookings just ahead of the New Year. The issue was reported around 10 am, particularly impacting users attempting to book Tatkal (emergency) tickets. This marks the third service disruption for IRCTC this month, sparking widespread frustration among users.
Several users were unable to log into the website, and those who managed to access their accounts reported being unable to complete ticket bookings. The timing of the outage, during the crucial Tatkal booking window, left many stranded. Disgruntled users voiced their grievances on social media. One user commented, "@RailMinIndia IRCTC website is down since 10 am today. I cannot book Tatkal tickets. When I contacted customer care, they mentioned the site is under maintenance. Who schedules maintenance during working hours? Your IT team needs improvement."
Another user wrote, "IRCTC down just before Tatkal booking—classic timing! Is anyone else facing this issue? #IRCTC #TatkalBooking," sharing screenshots of the malfunctioning site. The repeated outages this month have drawn criticism, especially as the New Year rush for tickets amplifies the demand for seamless services. Many travelers have urged IRCTC to address these technical issues to prevent further inconvenience.