The IRCTC next-generation e-ticketing website is set for an overhaul. The Indian Railways will revamp the official website to make it easier for users to book a ticket online. The web portal, www.irctc.co.in, was last upgraded in 2018.
Railway Board Chairman, VK Yadav said that the IRCTC website will be completely revamped and the processes will be simplified and personalised with the use of artificial intelligence. Additionally, the portal will be integrated with hotel booking, as well as meal bookings, he said.
Yadav stated that the revamped IRCTC ticket booking website will be rolled out in August. "Passengers will have a much better experience when the new portal is launched," he said.
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"Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be used to provide a better ticket booking experience to passengers. The AI will predict the booking pattern for passengers and suggest the best possible combination of trains available," Yadav said, according to a Deccan Herald report.
New features like easy filters to search trains, availability of seats in all trains, fare display and waiting list confirmation probability will be added to make the website more passenger-friendly, he said.
The Railways has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for satellite tracking of trains. This will help in capturing real-time of the arrival and departure of trains. It will also help passengers know the movement of trains on a real-time basis, he added.
Railways on July 23 had said QR Code tickets will be generated to ensure contactless ticket checking. Passengers booking tickets on both online and offline modes will be able to avail this facility. As a result, there won't be any contact between passengers and railway employees. Passengers purchasing a ticket will receive an SMS containing the QR code which ticket checking officials can scan using handheld equipment.
Earlier this week, Railways launched ‘CheckIn Master’ - an app for staff to conduct contactless ticket checks at stations. The app can check PRS and UTS tickets by scanning the OCR and QR codes.
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