IRCTC Sets Record With 20.06 Lakh Tickets Booked In A Single Day
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) recorded its highest-ever single-day ticket booking figure on September 7, with 20,06,353 tickets booked through its online platform amid a surge in advance reservations for the festive season.
The previous single-day high stood at 18,40,203 tickets, recorded on August 19, 2026. The booking volume remained high the following day, with 19,50,699 tickets booked on September 8.
89% Of Reserved Tickets Booked Online
According to IRCTC, around 89% of reserved railway tickets are now booked online.
The Railways said the capacity of the Next Generation e-Ticketing (NGeT) system has been enhanced to handle the increased traffic during the festive advance reservation period. No system failure or outage was reported during the record booking activity on September 7.
First 15 Minutes See Highest Booking Rush
Booking data shows that around 8.43% to 14.14% of the day's total tickets are booked between 8 am and 9 am.
The heaviest rush is recorded during the first 15 minutes of the booking window, between 8 am and 8:15 am. Despite the surge during this period, around 85% of daily bookings are completed at other times.
IRCTC Doubles Server Capacity
As part of the NGeT upgrade, IRCTC has replaced its older servers with new infrastructure and enhanced the system's overall capacity through software optimisation and architectural improvements.
The upgrades are aimed at allowing the platform to handle large volumes of simultaneous bookings, particularly during periods of heavy festive demand.
New Interface Shows Train Availability On One Screen
IRCTC launched a beta version of its new user interface on July 15, 2026.
The interface allows passengers to view seat availability across different classes, including Sleeper, 3AC and 2AC, on a single screen, making it easier to compare options before booking.
Anti-Bot Measures And Action Against Fake IDs
IRCTC has introduced anti-bot technology along with a Content Delivery Network (CDN) system to tackle suspicious automated traffic.
According to the Railways, the anti-bot system has reduced suspicious bot traffic by 55% to 65% in recent months.
As part of efforts to curb irregularities, 3.04 crore user IDs have been deactivated, while 6.33 crore IDs have been flagged for re-validation. IRCTC has also blocked 16,041 suspicious email domains.
Meanwhile, 592 complaints involving 4.21 lakh suspicious PNRs have been registered on the cybercrime portal.
Agents Barred From First 10 Minutes Of Booking
Authorised railway ticketing agents, including YTSK, RTSA and IRCTC agents, are not allowed to book tickets during the first 10 minutes after the advance reservation window opens.
The restriction applies from 8 am to 8:10 am, allowing individual passengers the first opportunity to book tickets when the reservation window opens.
