Indian Railways launches beta version of new IRCTC website, can be accessed from 9 pm

3 min readDelhiUpdated: Jul 15, 2026 08:18 PM IST

IRCTC launches beta version of redesigned website to simplify online train ticket booking. (File Photo)

The Ministry of Railways on Wednesday launched the beta version of the new website of IRCTC. Officials said that the portal can be accessed from 9 pm.

The beta version is a trial release of the portal. Its early release will help to validate functionality and catch defects in the new website. Officials said that the fully functional new IRCTC portal will be available in a few weeks.

It can be accessed through the following link: https://www.irctc.co.in/eticket/. The link to the beta version is also provided on the existing website’s homepage.

The beta version is a trial release of the portal. (Special Arrangements)

The IRCTC website had been under criticism from the public due to its slow speed, complex navigation and captcha requirements. This was pointed out by the students of Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) in Jaipur during Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw’s visit.

In a video that went viral, a student was seen asking the minister to solve the problem of the IRCTC captcha. Subsequently, the minister dialled a departmental official to take action, adding that a new IRCTC website will be launched by July 15.

Clean user interface

The website was first launched in 2002 and currently handles around 14.5 lakh tickets on an average per day.

Railways officials said the new website has a clean user interface with four major improvements in the beta version.

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The beta website can be accessed through the following link: https://www.irctc.co.in/eticket/. (Special Arrangements)

“It will not have unnecessary captchas, pop-ups and no flashing graphics and distracting elements. The seats will be visible across all classes. It will reduce the number of steps to book a ticket and will allow passengers to save details for repeat booking,” said an official.

The students of MNIT were also made a part of the website change, where they gave feedback to improve its look and feel. The beta version will facilitate the users to further provide feedback on the improvements needed.

Along with this, the railways is also revamping the decades old Passenger Reservation engine that powers the various train booking applications.

Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with the Business Bureau of The Indian Express. He plays a critical role in covering India's massive infrastructure sectors, providing in-depth reporting on the connectivity lifelines of the nation.

Expertise & Focus Areas: Mishra’s journalism is focused on two of the country's most capital-intensive and public-facing ministries:

Ministry of Railways: Tracking the operations, safety, and development of India's vast railway network.

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways: Covering policy decisions, infrastructure projects, and highway development.

What sets Mishra apart is his rigorous use of the Right to Information (RTI) Actas a primary tool for news gathering. By relying on official data and government records, he ensures a high degree of accuracy and trustworthiness in his reporting. This data-driven approach has resulted in numerous impactful reports that hold public institutions accountable and bring transparency to government operations.

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