IRCTC website and app get a facelift in 2021 with easier refund status check, train and station search; details inside (screenshot) | Photo credit: YouTube
New Delhi: Indian Railways on Thursday launched the revamped and updated e-ticketing website and mobile app for its Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) ticket booking platform.
The updated e-ticketing website and application were launched by the Minister of Railways and Trade and Industry and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal on December 31, 2020.
“The railroad is committed to serving the nation and is constantly working to increase its services and further enhance the experience of traveling by train. This improved electronic ticketing platform for online train ticket booking will improve passenger comfort, ”Goyal said according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Railways.
The updated and improved e-ticketing website and mobile app aim to provide the best-in-class user experience among several other online ticket and travel websites, the ministry statement added.
Currently, this IRCTC e-ticketing website has more than 6 million million active users, who use it to book more than 8 lakhs per day. About 83% of the total booked train tickets are booked through this online system.
New features include easier reimbursement status checking, easier train search and selection process, increased cyber security, and more.
Some of the new and updated features of the revamped IRCTC include:
- User customization linked to the user’s login that will allow the user to book meals, rooms and hotels directly in conjunction with the tickets, providing a comprehensive solution for the traveler’s needs.
- Predictive input suggestions that use artificial intelligence to greatly reduce the hassle of searching for stations and also save time booking tickets.
- Easier check of refund status on user accounts page. Previously, this feature was not easily accessible.
- ‘Regular’ or ‘favorite’ trips can be easily booked by automatically entering the relevant details.
- The search and selection of trains was simplified by placing the information on one page to reduce the time spent by passengers and improve the booking experience.
- All information on one page: availability for all classes is displayed together with the respective fares for all trains. Just scroll down the page and choose ‘Book’ your desired train and class. Previously, seat availability and fares for each train could only be viewed after clicking on that train individually.
- A ‘caching system’ has been introduced in the backend to provide the availability status. This will avoid delays in loading availabilities.
- In case of tickets on the waiting list, their ‘confirmation probability’ is shown. Previously, this had to be verified for each waitlist state separately.
- Availability for other dates can be alternated on the page itself.
- Notices during the reservation process to make it even easier for users less familiar with the computer. This will save you time wandering around the website to search for it.
- The details of the trip will also be displayed on the payment page. It will ask the user to verify and rectify, if there is any typographical error. These corrections can only be corrected by visiting a PRS center.
- The website has built-in functions to improve cyber security through the use of proper captchas.
