Train ticket booking delayed till 6 PM as IRCTC website sees heavy traffic

The booking for passenger trains, which was slated to start at 4 PM on Monday, has been delayed by two hours as IRCTC web portal, the official website of the Indian Railways, remained inaccessible due to heavy traffic on the site.  

"Data pertaining to special trains is being fed on the Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website. Train ticket bookings will be available in a short while. Please wait. Inconvenience is regretted," the Ministry of Railways said in a statement.

The IRCTC website crashed after booking for tickets opened at 4 PM today for as many as 15 pairs of special trains on Monday.

Also Read: IRCTC website crashes as bookings for trains reopen

The Ministry of Railways on Sunday announced that passenger train services will be gradually resumed in India starting May 12. Ticket booking in these trains will be available on the IRCTC website only. Ticket booking counters at the railway stations will remain closed and no counter tickets (including platform tickets) will be issued, as per a statement released by the Ministry of Railways.

Also Read: Home Ministry issues guidelines for train travel to check coronavirus spread; all you need to know

Only confirmed e-tickets will be allowed to enter the station, the ministry said. It will be mandatory for the passengers to wear face cover and undergo screening at departure and only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to board the train. All passengers will be provided with hand sanitisers at entry and exit points at states and in coaches. On arrival at their destination, the travelling passengers will have to adhere to health protocols.

The Indian Railways had stopped passenger train services on March 22 amid coronavirus pandemic.