Advance train booking raises questions: Tickets unavailable when portal opens at 8am; 10 minutes later, all

Thousands of passengers travelling to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand are now left with special trains as the main option. However, those trying to book tickets in advance are facing another hurdle.

Passengers booking tickets under the 60-day Advance Reservation Period (ARP) are reportedly unable to complete the process themselves.

As soon as the IRCTC booking window opens at 8 am, passengers start receiving different types of error messages, disrupting the booking process.

The problem reportedly lasts for nearly 10 minutes, from 8 am to around 8:10 am. Once seats shift to ‘regret’ or waiting-list status, the booking system starts functioning normally again.

Sources have alleged that some agents continue to gain access to the IRCTC system using illegal software or applications to secure tickets during the initial booking window.