CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: A public interest petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court over technical difficulties faced by passengers during online railway ticket booking. Hearing the matter, the court has sought responses from the Ministry of Railways and the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). A division bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia asked counsel for the Centre and the Railways to take instructions in the matter within one week.
The petition has sought an independent and technically competent audit of the passenger reservation system of IRCTC, RailOne and other linked digital platforms. Petitioner Uttam Kumar referred to problems such as the website slowing down, suddenly hanging, and login or booking sessions closing during online ticket booking. Complaints have particularly been made about such difficulties when Tatkal and advance ticket booking opens.
The petition also said that on several occasions, money is deducted from a passenger’s bank account but the ticket is not issued. It has sought a clear and time-bound refund mechanism for such cases. The petition also raised the issue of alleged use of automated software, bots and bulk booking tools, which it said creates difficulties for ordinary passengers in getting tickets.
The petition has requested transparency in the allotment of seats available under the Tatkal quota, RAC and waiting list, and an independent technical audit of the entire reservation system. The Ministry of Railways and IRCTC will present their stand at the next hearing.
Notably, according to the Railways, 89 percent of reserved tickets were booked online between June 2025 and June 2026. The Railways has also stated that measures such as cybersecurity, anti-bot technology and regular security audits are in place in the online reservation system.
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