The launch of IRCTC’s new website was reportedly delayed because officials wanted to collect suggestions from different stakeholders and implement the recommended changes first.
Despite this, the beta version of the website has now gone live, though it has not been opened for public use yet.
Reports suggest that IRCTC will open its beta website to the public at 9 pm on July 15. The trial version has been introduced to give passengers a first look at the new design and features and to collect user feedback before the full rollout. Users can access it via the IRCTC e-ticketing website.
Apart from this, the link to the beta version has also been given on the homepage of the existing IRCTC website.
What is the need for a new website?
The IRCTC website, launched in 2002, now manages nearly 1.45 million ticket bookings every day. To improve the user experience and handle rising passenger traffic, the platform has been given a fresh look. The updated design also draws on feedback provided by students from the Malaviya National Institute of Technology during their interaction with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
What are the changes that have been made in the new website?
Some of the changes in the website include relief from captchas and pop-ups. So now, there is no need to fill in CAPTCHA again and again and the unnecessary pop-ups and flashing graphics have been removed, making the website easier to use.
A special feature has also been added that will not require passengers to select classes and look for seats. Available seats for all classes will be visible at one place. Additionally, the number of steps that had to be completed to book a ticket has now been reduced. This will help in completing the booking at record speed.
The new website is currently in a beta version, which means its purpose is to take suggestions from people. Further improvements will be made based on passenger feedback to make the final website even better.
What are the benefits to the passengers?
Passengers will benefit greatly from the booking. The new website will make ticket booking easier and faster; it will be more user-friendly, seat availability will be easily visible, and ticket booking will take less time. There will also be no need to fill in passenger information multiple times.