IRCTC Tatkal Booking Errors Trigger Public Outcry, Users Question Reliability of Railway Platform
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) faced fresh criticism on Tuesday as several users took to social media to complain about repeated errors while attempting to book Tatkal tickets. The issue sparked widespread frustration, with passengers alleging that the booking facility often becomes unusable during peak Tatkal hours, raising questions over the reliability of one of India’s most critical public digital services.
Tatkal tickets are designed to offer last-minute travel options for passengers, especially during emergencies. Given the enormous daily footfall on IRCTC’s website and mobile application, the Tatkal booking window remains one of the most high-pressure digital transactions in the country. Even minor disruptions during this period can impact thousands of passengers simultaneously.
What Users Are Complaining About
Multiple users reported encountering repeated error messages while attempting to complete Tatkal bookings on both the IRCTC website and mobile app. Some passengers alleged that despite logging in on time and completing passenger details in advance, the system either froze or displayed generic error notifications, preventing payment completion.
Several netizens went further, questioning whether Tatkal tickets were effectively accessible to ordinary users at all. Some alleged that the system appeared skewed in favour of agents and brokers, while genuine passengers struggled to secure confirmed seats despite following all guidelines.
Official Claims and Data
The wave of criticism comes shortly after Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated on December 4 that the IRCTC platform maintained an uptime of 99.98 percent between April and October 2025. According to the ministry, the system has undergone multiple technological upgrades to handle high traffic volumes.
Independent outage tracking platform Downdetector, however, showed around 56 user-reported issues on Tuesday. Of these, approximately 68 percent related to website access problems, while 31 percent were linked to the mobile application. Notably, there was no sharp spike suggesting a nationwide outage, indicating that the problem may be intermittent or load-specific.
Public Reaction on Social Media
Social media platforms, particularly X, were flooded with complaints from passengers who claimed they were unable to book Tatkal tickets despite repeated attempts. Many users expressed concern over transparency, while others demanded clearer communication from IRCTC during high-demand booking windows. The sentiment reflected growing public impatience with recurring technical hurdles during time-sensitive bookings.
Analysis: System Load vs User Trust
While official data suggests that IRCTC’s infrastructure remains largely stable, user experience tells a different story. High concurrency during Tatkal booking hours places immense pressure on backend systems, payment gateways, and authentication services. Even short delays or micro-failures can translate into lost bookings and public anger.
The recurring nature of such complaints also highlights a trust deficit. For a platform that handles millions of bookings daily, consistency during peak hours is as important as overall uptime figures.
Conclusion
As rail travel demand continues to surge, especially during the festive and winter seasons, IRCTC faces the challenge of not just maintaining uptime but ensuring smooth, error-free transactions during critical booking windows. Transparent communication, real-time alerts, and further system optimisation may be key to restoring passenger confidence in the Tatkal booking system.
Final Thoughts from TheTrendingPeople
The repeated complaints surrounding IRCTC’s Tatkal booking system underline a growing gap between official performance metrics and real-world user experience. While uptime statistics suggest stability, passenger frustration points to deeper issues related to peak-hour handling and transaction reliability. For a public utility as critical as IRCTC, trust is built not on percentages alone but on seamless execution when passengers need it the most. Addressing these concerns transparently and proactively will be essential in ensuring that digital rail services truly serve the public interest.