Indian Railways, with its extensive web of network across India, is still the most preferred mode of travel for Indian people. The connectivity to even the remotest corners of the country and cheap fares, keeps people connected on a daily basis.
If Indian Railways is the lifeline of the India, IRCTC is the heart that keeps the lifeline ticking. Perhaps the most daunting part of rail travel is actually booking the tickets! Even with so many advancements having taken place in railways, people still find the process of booking tickets a bit intimidating.
So how does the old way compare with the new way when it comes to booking and canceling tickets? Will the new website and app help passengers in any other ways?
Let’s find out.
The Old Way
In the old days, booking a ticket meant standing patiently in a queue for hours together. And even doing that did not ensure a ticket! It took an auspicious alignment of all your planets and a bucketful of luck, or ‘connections’ in right places in order to get a confirmed ticket.
In keeping up with the times, Indian Railways sought to solve this problem by creating their own website which was run by IRCTC and offered ticket bookings online.
But, more often than not, the site was prone to bugs and crashes which compounded the problem even more. The site was unable to handle the sheer daily volume of people wanting to book tickets and was down more times than it was working.
The New Way: Updated IRCTC Website & Mobile App
In keeping up with the times, IRCTC is all set to unveil its revamped website along with a user-friendly Android app which will make the ticket-booking process quick and seamless. The new website is designed to be passenger-friendly and will also address the ‘Time-Out’ issues, which plagued the old website.
The app will make IRCTC’s booking mechanism even more accessible. Along with the website, it has been designed to display confirmed tickets, clearer data analytics to help select travel dates as well as keeping in check the misuse of conveniences like Tatkal ticket booking.
ISRO is already set to help Indian Railways to stop train accidents. Indian Railways is also seeking ISRO’s help to update passengers about arrivals and departures of relevant trains on a real-time basis. This way travelers can also adjust their schedules in case of train delays.
Officials have also said that the new system will also help curb manipulation of a train’s arrival and departure times by local station officials, to avoid punishment for delays.
The new mobile app will also enable booking of Tatkal tickets with ladies quota, premium tatkal quota and current reservations. Travelers can check their current reservations and get alerts for their upcoming journey. The new app even allows canceling of booked tickets from the app itself.
Now that booking train tickets is set to become a painless affair, it is the passengers who will ultimately benefit from the new system and its advanced features.
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