14 June,2026 08:30 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. File Pic
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that a revamped IRCTC website will be launched by Monday, following feedback from a student who highlighted persistent issues with CAPTCHA verification and website performance.
The decision was taken during an interactive session with students at the Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur, where a student raised concerns about recurring glitches and delays on the railway ticketing platform.
Taking immediate note of the feedback, Vaishnaw directed officials to undertake a comprehensive overhaul of the website within 30 days to improve user experience and system efficiency.
In a follow-up move, senior Railway Board officials, including the Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board, held a video conference with the student to gather detailed inputs and suggestions regarding the proposed redesign and functionality improvements.
The student later shared his experience on the social media platform X, thanking the minister and railway authorities for their swift response.
"Thank you, Ashwini Vaishnaw, for addressing issues regarding CAPTCHA and the IRCTC official website. The Railway Board followed up the next day to take inputs regarding prototypes of the proposed new website," the student posted.
The initiative is being seen as an example of the government's focus on responsive governance and improving digital services for millions of railway passengers who rely on the IRCTC platform for ticket bookings and travel-related services.
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) launched a nationwide crackdown on unauthorised e-catering operators allegedly offering food delivery services to railway passengers without approval, officials said.
The move is aimed at protecting passengers from food safety risks, cyber fraud and financial losses linked to unauthorised websites and mobile applications that misuse IRCTC's branding and services, an official statement said.
IRCTC said it has initiated legal and criminal proceedings against several operators found to be offering unauthorised food delivery services on the Indian Railways network.
According to IRCTC, a legal notice was first issued to non-compliant operators on 18 February 2026. This was followed by official criminal complaints filed on 16 March and 11 April 2026.
The organisation stated that action has been initiated against several websites allegedly involved in unauthorised railway food delivery activities, including RailRestro, RailMitra, TravelKhana, TrainsCafe, DibRail, RailFood, ComeSum, TravelerFood, FoodOnTrack.in, eCatering.app, KhanaOnline, TrainWay, RailMeal and TrainMenu.
IRCTC highlighted several risks associated with unauthorised e-catering services.
The corporation warned that meals supplied through such platforms may originate from unregulated food outlets that do not follow food safety and hygiene standards prescribed by food authorities.
It also raised concerns about cyber security, stating that passengers may be asked to share personal information such as PNR numbers, contact details, email addresses and payment information on unverified platforms.
According to IRCTC, this could expose travellers to phishing attacks, financial fraud and misuse of personal data.
