NEW DELHI: A strange problem has arisen for people trying to book train tickets online ahead of Chhath and other major festivals, something that hasn’t happened before. Within less than a minute after bookings open on the Indian Railways website, people see a “regret” status. Many think this could be caused by touts using illegal software.
“Whenever advance booking, which opens just 60 days before the date of departure, begins for major festivals like Chhath and Diwali in Bihar-bound trains, including Tejas Rajdhani and others, ordinary passengers anxious to buy tickets end up staring at the ‘regret’ status instead,” remarked many who failed to buy tickets to Bihar in recent days.
Increasingly, people suspect that touts are using illegal software to cause these problems, and that IRCTC’s systems are not detecting them.
“Why is this happening more frequently with Bihar-bound trains, especially during festivals like Chhath, Diwali, or Holi? This time, it’s happening alarmingly more than in previous years — at a time when Bihar is a poll-bound state and the BJP is in power with allies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw must look into it. With so many people affected, it might become ammunition for the Opposition if not addressed soon,” said a senior BJP leader on Monday.
Railway officials are not saying much, except that the problem might be due to fewer wait-list tickets being issued. This is reportedly the first time tickets have shown a “regret” status within seconds of the booking opening. The big question now is: “Where are all these tickets going, and who is booking them so quickly that it surprises everyone?”
A senior railway employee, who failed to book a ticket online on three occasions, said, “This is not a simple issue like railway officials claim.” He said that even after Aadhaar being linked to IRCTC accounts, the near-instant regret status clearly casts serious doubt on illegal software-based activities.
“The IRCTC and Railway Police must act at war-like speed, rather than making excuses, denying it, or attributing it to technical glitches,” said a retired railway official.
Anshuman Kumar, a journalist, recently tried to book tickets from New Delhi to Patna for October 24 at 8:00 am, but the moment he logged in, the status showed regret. When he shared his experience online, IRCTC responded by asking for his user ID and mobile number, instead of investigating the system.
While the Railways have announced plans to run more than 12,000 special train trips to manage festival rushes to Bihar and other regions, passengers remain reluctant to opt for these services due to frequent delays. “Hardly any special train reaches on time during festivals. What are the benefits of running special trains when their punctuality isn’t maintained?” questioned many passengers.