IRCTC handles 20 lakh train ticket bookings in a day: How it is managing festive season rush

As the festive season approached, Indian Railways' online reservation system faced an unprecedented surge in demand for train tickets. In response, IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) intensified its efforts to upgrade its ticket booking system to accommodate the large volume of passengers attempting to secure seats simultaneously.

On September 7, 2026, IRCTC recorded its highest-ever single-day booking of 20,06,353 tickets, thanks to the festive-season advance reservation period (ARP) bookings. The following day, September 8, saw another 19,50,699 ticket bookings. Currently, around 89 per cent of all reserved tickets are booked online.

To accommodate the increased demand, IRCTC implemented several upgrades to its Next Generation e-Ticketing (NGeT) system, including the addition of new servers and software optimisation. A new user interface was introduced in July 2026, providing a more modern and structured layout that allows passengers to view availability across different classes on a single screen.

To manage the peak booking rush, especially during the first hour of ticket availability, IRCTC introduced measures such as Aadhaar authentication, restrictions on ticket agents, and strengthened anti-bot measures. These efforts have resulted in a significant reduction of malicious bot traffic and ensured fair access for genuine passengers.