Indian Railways: IRCTC's new website to launch on July 15; Railway Minister makes the announcement himself..

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that a new IRCTC website will be launched by July 15. He made this announcement in response to a request from a student. A video posted on social media by the news agency ANI shows a female student raising concerns about the IRCTC website with the Railway Minister. He immediately called an official and asked if a new IRCTC website could be prepared within 30 days. Upon receiving a confirmation, the Minister informed the student and others present that the new IRCTC website would be ready by July 15.

People reacted to this post in various ways. While some welcomed the initiative, others believed that the existing website could be improved by simply addressing its shortcomings. One person suggested taking more time to build a superior website rather than rushing to create a new one in just a month. Another individual argued that the current website could be enhanced, suggesting that it should focus solely on train ticket bookings and food orders, while discontinuing services like bus, air travel, and hotel bookings.

About the current IRCTC website

IRCTC was established in 1999, but online ticket booking services began in 2002. On the very first day, only 29 tickets were booked through the website. Today, an average of over 1.4 million tickets are booked daily via the website and app. Currently, the IRCTC website is not limited to train ticket bookings; it has evolved into a comprehensive one-stop travel portal. Users can now access direct options for flights, hotels, bus bookings, and tourism packages right from the main homepage. Additionally, several changes have been made to declutter the website's main interface and reduce ad-related distractions, making navigation and the booking process much smoother for the average traveler.

**Key Features and Infrastructure Upgrades of the Current Website**

**Next-Gen PRS:** The website's backend now operates on a highly advanced Passenger Reservation System (PRS). Server capacity has been significantly enhanced, ensuring the system remains stable even during peak hours and *Tatkal* booking periods, while also drastically increasing ticket booking speeds.

**Advanced Seat Selection and Fare Calendar:** The new user interface allows travelers to view seat availability across all classes (e.g., 1A, 2A, 3A, SL) in a single view while searching for trains. It also features a dynamic fare calendar that helps users compare ticket prices across different dates.

**IRCTC eWallet:** To avoid payment gateway failures and expedite *Tatkal* bookings, the eWallet facility has been actively promoted on the site. Pre-loading funds eliminates the need to wait for bank OTPs during checkout, allowing bookings to be completed in mere seconds.

**Integrated iPAY (IRCTC-iPAY):** IRCTC has launched its own payment gateway, ‘iPAY’. It utilizes an auto-debit and rapid refund mechanism, ensuring that in the event of ticket cancellations or booking failures, the refund amount is credited back to the user's account very quickly.

**Ask DISHA Chatbot:** The website features an AI-powered chatbot named ‘Disha’. Through this, travelers can check PNR status, cancel tickets, or inquire about refund status without even logging in. It supports both voice and text commands. Additional Security and Rules: To ensure security, two-factor authentication (2FA) and CAPTCHA verification have been made mandatory on the website. Furthermore, rules are continuously tightened—particularly regarding the opening times for instant and general bookings—to prioritize genuine passengers and prevent unauthorized agents or illegal software from bulk-booking tickets.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from News18 Hindi. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.