New Railway Tatkal rules: Can users beat bots and illegal agents?
In this episode of The Data Point, The Hindu Data Team uncovers why booking a Tatkal ticket is challenging for Indian users, often outpaced by unauthorized bots to the finish line
| Video Credit:
Sambavi Parthasarathy, Shivaraj S.
Tatkal bookings on IRCTC are a nightmare for most users, as they often compete with bots run by unscrupulous agents. While online booking has helped reduce the long queues at reservation counters and requires nothing more than a mobile phone and an internet connection, it has also become a double-edged sword—especially in the context of Tatkal tickets.
An internal analysis by the Indian Railways revealed that in the first five minutes of the Tatkal window, up to 50% of login attempts on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website were made by bots.
In this episode of The Data Point, The Hindu Data Team uncovers why booking a Tatkal ticket is challenging for Indian users, often outpaced by unauthorized bots to the finish line. From lakhs of bot logins and lightning-fast scripts to the staggering revenue Indian Railways earns from Tatkal tickets, we break down the complex system of Tatkal bookings in India.
Read more: New Tatkal rules aimed at curbing bots and bulk train ticket bookings | Data
Presentation and script: Vignesh Radhakrishnan
Editing: Sambavi Parthasarathy
Camera: Shivaraj S
Published – June 17, 2025 01:04 pm IST