IRCTC rolls out beta website with simpler booking process, fewer captchas; Know how to access it

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) on Wednesday launched the beta version of its redesigned ticket booking website, weeks after Union Railway Minister Ashwinin Vaishnaw promised it during an interaction with college students.

The new IRCTC website features a simplified interface, fewer booking steps and easier access to seat availability, as part of an overhaul of its online reservation platform.

How to access it

The beta version went live at 9 pm and can be accessed through the IRCTC e-ticketing portal.

Users can also access it through a link provided on the homepage of the existing website and submit feedback on its features before the full rollout.

According to an official statement, the revamped website has been developed based on suggestions from students of Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), who interacted with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and shared ideas to improve the portal's design and user experience.

A video of the exchange went viral last month where Vaishnaw was seen dialling a railway official to question about the new website.

"Sir, please solve the problem of the IRCTC captcha," a student could be heard asking Vaishnaw.

Asking the railway official whether the new website could be deployed in 30 days, Vaishnaw said, "All the students have demanded that there should be a new IRCTC website.”

The IRCTC website, first launched in 2002, currently handles an average of around 14.5 lakh ticket bookings every day.

The beta version introduces four key changes, including the removal of unnecessary captchas, pop-ups and flashing graphics to make the booking process less cluttered.

It also displays seat availability across all classes on a single screen, reduces the number of steps required to complete a booking, and allows users to save passenger details to make repeat bookings quicker.

The Railways said the trial version has been released to gather user feedback, which will be incorporated into future updates before the final version is rolled out.

The upgraded IRCTC website will also be integrated with the new Passenger Reservation Engine (PRS), which is currently being revamped.

The fully functional portal is expected to be available in the coming weeks after the new reservation engine is launched.

IRCTC has urged users to share their feedback on the beta version to help further improve the website before its full-scale launch.