The beta version of the platform uses fewer captchas, reduces loading time and presents more precise results when it comes to finding available seats and making the final launch possible based on user feedback
India’s most heavily used ticketing platform is getting its most significant overhaul in years, and the push came from an unexpected direction. After Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw held discussions with students from the Malaviya National Institute of Technology in Jaipur, who outlined specific problems with the existing interface, the Ministry accepted their suggestions and initiated a redesign of the IRCTC website. A beta version of the new portal is now live, accessible through a link on the existing IRCTC homepage.
What Has Actually Changed
The biggest improvements are visible in places where users usually experience difficulties. The new portal has minimized the number of cases when one has to fill in the captcha in order to book tickets. All users are able to find the available seats in different classes of transportation without the necessity of filtering results every time they run the request.
The Tatkal Problem
The redesign is focused primarily on performance during peak hours. The portal in its current form has a track record of crashing or being sluggish during Tatkal bookings, public holidays, and other busy periods. The redesigned platform is meant to work better during those periods, but its capabilities will be put to the test in real time only once the platform goes live.
What Comes Next
Currently, the IRCTC is gathering its customers’ thoughts regarding the new portal features, concepts, and functioning before the final version is adopted. At the same time, the Passenger Reservation Service is being updated. When the process is finished, the new portal will be made available to all users.
The size of the upgrade is very important. IRCTC makes approximately 1.45 million ticket transactions daily, meaning that even the slightest improvements in transaction processing can have an important significance at the national level.
