- IRCTC plans to upgrade its website and app to handle high booking traffic better
- Upgrades include enhanced servers, storage, networking, and software for NGET platform
- New site changes remove distractions and allow saving passenger details for faster booking
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is preparing to upgrade their website and app to deal with issues train travellers face during busy booking hours, sudden slowdowns and service disruptions.
The changes are important, especially for peak periods, when thousands try to book tickets at the same time.
The IRCTC will first improve the NGET infrastructure by upgrading servers, storage, networking and software. The second is the new backup system that can keep the service running if one system stops working.
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As per The Indian Express, IRCTC explained, “There are two things we are trying to introduce. One is the NGET Infra Refresh. NGET is Next Generation e-Ticketing, which is the platform for IRCTC. We are trying to upgrade its hardware by the storage, servers, and networking, plus the software. So we will increase. Like you have seen, we have reached around 37,000 tickets per minute. This may increase to more than 1 lakh and all. This has been done with PRF modernisation, around INR 150 crores has been infused into it.”
“We are also trying to go for an active-active disaster recovery, because sometimes if the website is down, then the passengers will have to face and we are very much behind that 1 minute or 2 minutes. This becomes the golden hour for us. If we will have a disaster recovery, most probably coming up at Secunderabad.”
The latest upgrade comes a month after IRCTC launched a new beta version of their website. The updated site was developed with ideas shared by students from Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) during their meeting with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
It has a cleaner layout and simpler design, so users can spot the features they need without much trouble.
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IRCTC has made four changes – removing unnecessary CAPTCHA checks, pop ups, flashing graphics and other elements – that can distract passengers while booking tickets.
It also makes seat availability easier to check by showing details for all travel classes in one place. The booking process has also been shortened, with only fewer steps to complete a ticket purchase.
Another useful change is the option to save passenger details. This means users do not have to enter the same information every time they book a ticket.
