In a groundbreaking stride towards digital modernization, Indian Railways has shattered previous records by clocking the highest-ever ticket booking rate of 31,814 tickets in a single minute on May 22, 2025. This feat underscores the success of its newly revamped, AI-powered ticketing system designed to enhance user experience, security, and transparency.
Statement Of An Official
"To maintain integrity and further safeguard the platform, Indian Railways has deactivated 2.5 crore suspicious user IDs. Additionally, the system now proactively detects bot-like behavior using sophisticated AI algorithms, while enabling users to report abuses via the Cyber Crime Portal," said an official.
"As part of a broad digital transformation initiative, Indian Railways, through its e-ticketing arm IRCTC, has introduced advanced AI-based bot mitigation technologies to combat the persistent issue of unauthorized, automated bookings. These bots—frequently employed by unscrupulous agents—once accounted for nearly 50% of login attempts during peak Tatkal booking hours. However, with the new system in place, malicious bot traffic has been virtually eliminated, ensuring fair and equal access for genuine users," the official further added.
The digital upgrade also involved partnering with a leading Content Delivery Network (CDN) service provider, resulting in 87% of static content being served via CDN. This has significantly boosted website performance, reduced server load, and improved page load times—especially critical during high-traffic booking windows.
According to a senior officer, in a move aimed at further promoting fairness, new booking protocols have been introduced. These include allowing Aadhaar-verified users to book Opening ARP, Tatkal, and Premium Tatkal tickets immediately after registration, while non-Aadhaar-verified users must wait three days after registration to access these ticket types.
These systemic changes have already delivered substantial results. Average daily user logins rose from 69.08 lakh in FY 2023–24 to 82.57 lakh in FY 2024–25, marking a 19.53% increase. Similarly, average daily ticket bookings jumped by 11.85% during the same period. E-ticketing now comprises 86.38% of all reserved ticket bookings, reflecting a growing shift towards digital platforms and enhanced user trust in the online reservation system.
Indian Railways emphasized that these reforms are part of a sustained push to modernize the ticketing infrastructure and reinforce passenger trust.
“This achievement is not just about numbers; it reflects our commitment to offering a seamless, secure, and equitable booking experience to millions of passengers,” a senior railway official stated. “We will continue to innovate and evolve to meet the growing demands of digital India.”
