IRCTC Down? Tatkal Booking Faces Issues As Users Report Errors And Logouts

IRCTC users faced fresh trouble on Tuesday as several passengers took to social media complaining about repeated errors while trying to book Tatkal tickets. Many users said the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation website and mobile app kept showing error messages during the booking process, especially during peak Tatkal hours. Also Read: How To Book Tatkal Train Tickets On IRCTC Before The Diwali Rush: Step-by-Step Guide

A number of passengers claimed they were unable to move past key steps despite logging in on time. Some alleged that the system froze midway, while others said they were logged out after waiting for several minutes. The issue left many passengers frustrated, with several questioning how reliable the Tatkal booking system actually is during peak hours. Also Read: IRCTC Website And App Down: Thousands Of Users Face Issues In Booking Train Tickets

Several posts on X criticised the platform sharply. One user alleged that Tatkal bookings appear to work only for agents and brokers, adding that regular passengers are left struggling despite paying extra charges. Another user said they encountered the same error repeatedly every time they attempted to book a Tatkal ticket, asking what was going wrong with the system. Some posts also tagged the Railways and related apps, calling the experience stressful and poorly managed. Also Read: TikTok’s Return To India Not On The Table, Confirms IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

#IndianRailways Booking tatkal tickets is getting very difficult nowadays. IRCTC server slows down and by the time it reaches the ticketing window, all the tickets are exhausted. Kindly lookinto the matter.

— Abhishek Ghosh (@madlu007) December 23, 2025

Hello irctc. Why are you not able to fix simple error which is coming from almost a month now. Server error, client IP error. Me and my friend both are trying for a ticket and both are getting same error then where is more than 100 ticket going who is booking those tickets.

— Grey Goose (@Og_Manmauji) December 23, 2025

Useless rules aadhaar must etc first customer should be able to login then otp etc
Here moment 11 am you are thrown out of irctc app

— All Is well (@BadanNavid) December 23, 2025

Despite the complaints, there has been no confirmation of a large-scale outage from the Railways or IRCTC. According to Downdetector, around 60 outage reports were logged at the time of writing. Of the reports logged, close to 69% were linked to problems on the IRCTC website, while around 28% pointed to issues with the mobile app.

The criticism comes just weeks after Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the IRCTC website remained operational for 99.98% of the time between April and October 2025. Despite this, Tatkal booking hours have repeatedly drawn complaints from users, particularly during periods of heavy demand.

IRCTC outages or slowdowns during Tatkal booking hours are not new. Passengers who fail to secure tickets online are advised to approach their nearest railway Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counter as an alternative.

Earlier this year, Indian Railways made Aadhaar verification compulsory for all IRCTC accounts booking Tatkal tickets. The step was introduced to check misuse of the system and improve access for genuine passengers.

The latest complaints have also surfaced days after Indian Railways announced another increase in passenger train fares. Fares across all classes are set to rise from December 26, marking the second hike this year after July. The increase, ranging between one and two paise per kilometre, is expected to bring in around Rs 600 crore during the remaining part of the current financial year.