IRCTC website DOWN amid heavy Diwali rush, thousands struggle to book tatkal train tickets

With Diwali and Chhath Puja travel demand peaking, the IRCTC website and its app went down just as the morning Tatkal window opened. 

Thousands of hopeful train travellers found themselves staring at error messages, 'server temporarily unavailable', as they tried to book tickets. The sudden crash sparked frustration, social media outrage and uncertainty over whether this was a simple overload or a bigger tech failure.

Chaos as tatkal opens: Rush breaks the system

At around 10 a.m., when Tatkal bookings typically commence, complaints poured in from users across the country. Many said they were unable to log in, select trains, or complete payments. The outage was widely reported on platforms like Downdetector, with users sharing screenshots and expressing dismay over lost travel options. What’s worse: trains were reportedly filling while potentially legitimate users were stuck outside the system.

The cause, according to early assessments, is sheer overload. The system couldn’t handle the spike in simultaneous booking attempts, a problem that plagues IRCTC especially during festival seasons. In past incidents, IRCTC’s infrastructure has buckled under high traffic during the peak hours.

Users demand answers, authorities scramble for fix

Passengers are demanding explanations and compensations. Many took to social media, accusing IRCTC of poor planning and calling for accountability. Meanwhile, railway IT teams and the CRIS (Central Railway Information System) wing were said to be working to restore full services. Offline options, like station counters and agent bookings, saw renewed demand as users shifted to fallback methods.

The outage spotlights a crucial issue: India’s rail booking infrastructure must scale up to match surges during festivities. As the system remains unstable, travellers are left uncertain and anxious, about securing seats for their holiday journeys.