Indian Railways stated on Wednesday that it has completed a comprehensive digital overhaul of its ticketing infrastructure, aimed at curbing unauthorized bookings and enhancing the experience for genuine users. The modernisation initiative, implemented through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
Indian Railways in a statement said," A central feature of the upgrade is the deployment of cutting-edge anti-bot systems and the integration of a leading Content Delivery Network (CDN) service." "This has drastically reduced unauthorized automated bookings by unscrupulous agents—especially during the tatkal booking window, when bot traffic accounts for up to 50% of login attempts in the first five minutes." "As a result, the platform now effectively mitigates all bot traffic during this critical period, ensuring better access for genuine users."
On May 22, Indian Railways reported its highest-ever per-minute booking of 31,814 tickets. "The overhaul has also led to the deactivation of 2.5 crore suspicious user IDs, reinforcing efforts to keep the platform fair and secure," Indian Railways said in statement.
Key Systemic Enhancements:
87% of static content is now delivered via CDN, resulting in faster page load times and reduced server load.
AI-powered detection and mitigation of bot activity now protects booking windows from exploitation.
Proactive monitoring enables deactivation of suspicious accounts and complaints to be routed through the Cyber Crime Portal.
Fairer Access Through New Protocols
To ensure equitable access, new user protocols have been introduced.
Users who are not Aadhaar-verified can book Opening ARP, Tatkal, or Premium Tatkal tickets only after three days of registration.
Aadhaar-verified users can book tickets immediately upon registration.
Impact in Numbers
The platform has seen a surge in genuine user activity:
Average daily user logins rose from 69.08 lakh in FY 2023–24 to 82.57 lakh in FY 2024–25, marking a 19.53% increase.
Average daily ticket bookings grew by 11.85% during the same period.
E-ticketing now constitutes 86.38% of all reserved ticket bookings.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
