Thousands of passengers faced difficulties on Friday as the IRCTC website and mobile app experienced a major technical outage amid the massive rush for train ticket bookings ahead of Diwali and Chhath Puja 2025. The disruption left users unable to log in, book tickets, or check train availability during peak hours.
According to early reports, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) platform — which handles millions of transactions daily — went down around 9:30 AM, just when most travelers were attempting to secure tickets for the festive season. Users took to social media to report server errors, payment failures, and timeout issues on both the website and the IRCTC Rail Connect app.
Heavy Traffic Causes Technical Glitches
Officials from IRCTC confirmed that the issue stemmed from an unexpected surge in user traffic. With Diwali and Chhath Puja approaching, lakhs of passengers tried booking tickets simultaneously, overwhelming the system.
“Technical teams are working on a priority basis to restore full functionality. We regret the inconvenience caused to users,” an IRCTC spokesperson said.
Sources indicate that the server load exceeded capacity due to simultaneous logins from multiple regions, especially northern and eastern states where Chhath Puja travel demand peaks.
Services Being Restored Gradually
By early afternoon, partial services were reportedly restored. Some users could access the homepage and view train schedules, but booking confirmations and payment processing remained inconsistent. The Railway Ministry’s tech division has been monitoring the situation closely.
IRCTC also urged passengers to avoid repeated login attempts and to use the platform during off-peak hours if possible. The outage comes at a crucial time, as millions of people travel across the country for family gatherings, religious events, and festive celebrations.
Public Reaction
Frustrated travelers flooded X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook with complaints, sharing screenshots of error messages and long wait times. Hashtags like #IRCTCDown and #TrainBookingCrash began trending by mid-morning. Many users demanded that IRCTC upgrade its infrastructure to handle festive traffic more efficiently.
Background
IRCTC is India’s largest e-ticketing platform, managing over 10 lakh bookings daily under normal circumstances. During festivals like Diwali and Chhath, the number often doubles or even triples. Despite repeated system upgrades, the platform has struggled to handle sudden traffic spikes in previous years as well.
Experts say the latest outage highlights the need for robust server scaling, better cloud integration, and load-balancing mechanisms to ensure smooth operations during peak periods.
Conclusion
The IRCTC outage amid Diwali and Chhath Puja rush once again underscores the importance of modernizing India’s digital infrastructure for public services. While the issue is being addressed, passengers are advised to remain patient, use alternate time slots, and rely on official updates from IRCTC’s website and verified social handles.
