IRCTC Deactivates 2.5 Crore User IDs to Curb Misuse of Online Ticket Booking System

Recently, the Indian Railway has adopted a major crackdown to limit misuse of the online ticket booking system. Under this initiative, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has deactivated more than 2.5 crore User IDs. The action primarily focused on identifying suspicious fraud accounts and strengthening upcoming reforms such as Aadhaar-based authentication for Tatkal bookings.

The deactivation was performed when doubtful booking patterns were noticed. To detect these unusual booking behaviours across millions of accounts, IRTCT adopted advanced data analytics. In conclusion, around 2.5 crore accounts were identified as either inactive or involved in suspicious activity, which led to their deactivation.

A member of parliament asked several questions regarding the deactivation of User IDs, tickets disappearing within minutes, and the steps adopted by the department. The following are the questions:

“(a) Whether it is a fact that Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has recently deactivated over 2.5 crore User IDs; if so, the reasons behind such large-scale deactivation;

(b) Whether the government is planning a digital overhaul of the railway reservation system to curb misuse; if so, the details thereof;

(c) Whether it is also a fact that tickets for many trains vanish within minutes of the opening of the reservation window; and

(d) The measures being taken to ensure transparency, prevent misuse, and improve passenger access to confirmed tickets?”

To the questions raised above, the parliament replied that with the aim of controlling malpractices in the ticket booking system, IRCTC has deactivated more than 2.5 crore User IDs. Their details were found to be doubtful during detailed data point analysis. The ministry observed the filling of slots within minutes, due to a sudden increase in ticket demand on specific routes and times.

Effective from July 1, only Aadhaar-authenticated users will be allowed to book Tatkal tickets on the IRCTC platform. This measure is aimed towards enhancing transparency and avoiding mass ticket hoarding. Also, to prioritise honest passengers, agents are prevented from booking Tatkal tickets in the first 30 minutes of reservation.

Indian Railway has also launched schemes like VIKALP and upgradation, permitting waiting list passengers to get confirmed seats in alternate trains or higher classes. For broader accessibility, the authority has started accepting digital payments at the ticket counter and also around 89% of ticket bookings are not digitalised.