BY PC Bureau
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website and mobile application experienced a significant outage on Thursday, December 26, 2024, disrupting services during peak Tatkal booking hours. As of 10:30 AM, Downdetector, a platform monitoring service disruptions, recorded 1,833 reports of the IRCTC platform being down.
Users attempting to access the app encountered an “unable to perform action due to maintenance activity” error, while the website displayed a message stating, “Due to maintenance activity, e-ticketing service will not be available. Please try later,” labeled as a “Downtime Message.”
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) faced a major outage on December 26, 2024, leaving thousands of users unable to book, cancel, or modify train tickets during crucial Tatkal booking hours
This outage coincided with the critical Tatkal booking period, leading to frustration among users who rely on the platform for urgent travel reservations. Many took to social media to express their dissatisfaction, with several complaints registered on Downdetector. Approximately half of the users reported being unable to use the website, 40% faced issues with the app, and 10% were unable to book tickets at all.
India is the largest IT hub in the world, yet it cannot fix a website. You can collect taxes but fail to provide proper services in return. What a shame!@IRCTCofficial @RailwaySeva @RailMinIndia #IRCTC #Down #Rail pic.twitter.com/AAl8ljmSr5
— Guy On The Street (@msdneville) December 26, 2024
In response to the disruption, IRCTC advised passengers seeking to cancel or reschedule their tickets to contact customer care or email their ticket details to request a Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR). The customer care numbers provided are 14646, 0755-6610661, and 0755-4090600, and the email address is etickets@irctc.co.in.
The outage has raised concerns among passengers about the reliability of the IRCTC platform, especially during peak booking times. IRCTC has not yet provided a detailed explanation for the maintenance activity or the steps being taken to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Passengers are advised to remain patient and utilize alternative methods for ticket cancellations or modifications until the services are fully restored. Regular updates are expected to be provided by IRCTC through their official channels.
