New Delhi: The uptime of the IRCTC website was 99.98 per cent during the April-October period this fiscal compared to 99.86 per cent in the same period in the financial year 2024-25, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
Indian Railways has undertaken both administrative and technological measures for system modernisation, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Lok Sabha in a written reply to a question.
Administrative measures include deactivation of suspicious user IDs, lodging complaints on the National Cyber Crime Portal for suspiciously booked PNRs, revalidation of user IDs, etc, he said.
System Improvement Measures include checks and validations, engagement of leading content-delivering network and an anti-BOT application with cutting-edge technology to ensure smooth booking by genuine users.
In addition, regular third-party audits of IRCTC’s technology infrastructure are being conducted for improvement in the system. Meanwhile, the share of e-ticketing has since increased to more than 87 per cent of total reserved tickets booked on Indian Railways.
However, some complaints are received regarding failed transactions or delayed refund errors, which are being monitored regularly for quick resolution, Vaishnaw said.
The IRCTC website and mobile apps operate on application programming interface (API)-based technology, which requires only minimal text-based data exchange between the user’s device and IRCTC servers, the minister highlighted.
This ensures efficient performance for ticket booking even in rural areas, he said.
In addition, the IRCTC has implemented advanced Content Delivery Network (CDN) solutions, which are a global network of servers that deliver static content to users more quickly and reliably.
Capacity enhancement and technological upgradation are ongoing processes on Indian Railways, subject to the availability of resources and techno-economic feasibility.
Indian Railways serve about 58 crore meals every year on average.
“About only 0.0008 per cent of complaints are received on average. Based on inquiry on these complaints, a fine of Rs 2.8 crore was imposed over the last four years,” Vaishnaw noted.
He further said that Indian Railways continuously works to provide good quality and hygienic food to passengers. Several measures have been implemented to ensure better food standards and services across trains and stations.
Meals are now supplied from designated base kitchens, with modern kitchens being set up at important locations.
To improve monitoring, CCTV cameras have been installed in these kitchens. Only branded and popular raw materials such as cooking oil, rice, pulses, masalas, paneer, and dairy products are used for meal preparation.
Food Safety Supervisors are deployed at base kitchens to oversee hygiene practices, while IRCTC supervisors are posted onboard trains to monitor catering services. QR codes have been introduced on food packets, allowing passengers to check details like the kitchen of origin and packaging date.
Regular deep cleaning and pest control are carried out in kitchens and pantry areas.
Each catering unit is required to obtain mandatory FSSAI certification to ensure compliance with food safety norms. Food samples are routinely tested, and third-party audits are conducted to check hygiene and food quality, along with customer satisfaction surveys, the minister noted.
(IANS)
