The IRCTC website has seen a lot of improvements (though it is more CAPTCHA-infested than any other website you would encounter) and it is a lesser pain now to book train tickets online. But when it comes to booking Tatkal tickets, reservations for which open only the day before departure, the fastest fingers come first. Or do they?
An exposé by IBN7 reveals why even with the fastest machines, Internet connections and tricks such as auto-filled forms, you often are unable to get that confirmed Tatkal train ticket when you need it the most.
The most commonly repeated reason is that railway ticket booking agents manage to get them before everyone else. To counter that a number of changes were made on the IRCTC website to limit the ability of individual users to book multiple tickets. But that doesn't appear to be a deterrent.
The IBN7 investigation shows how unscrupulous agents do not even need to visit the IRCTC website to book tickets but are able to instead do that with a secret software (that is rented out to them). The software, amusingly called 'New China,' lets its users to almost instantly book Tatkal tickets as soon as the bookings open. A ticket can be booked in less than 30 seconds.
The software does need the usual IRCTC login details and also requires the user to fill in a CAPTCHA field (this is usually used to determine if a user is an actual human or an automated program) in additional to the necessary passenger, train and payment details. But the software manages to book tickets at a fraction of the time needed on the IRCTC website thereby giving an undue benefit to travellers who approach travel agents for Tatkal ticket bookings. This practice might not hit the Railway revenues, but is unfair to regular travellers who play by the rules.
The agent secretly recorded in the sting operation by IBN7 says the software is supplied by an unknown person and is rented out on a monthly basis. The rent ranges from Rs 3,000 per month for a 2-PNR software to Rs 10,000 for a 10-PNR software. This also explains in part why travel agents charge an additional Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for that confirmed Tatkal ticket.
This software is apparantly used by hundreds (if not more) of travel agents around the country. Travel agents are contacted via SMSes and interested agents have to deposit money to a bank account to get access to the software.
An IBN7 journalist pretended to be an interested travel agent and was able to get a series of demos from the people dealing in the software.
All this means that the software has direct access to IRCTC servers, possibly through a private API or because of a security flaw. The impunity with which the software appears to access IRCTC servers does raise a number of questions about involvement of a number of people.
The Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, reacting to the report, tweeted that the Chairman of the Railway Board would investigate into the complaints.
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