70% IRCTC users report forced action, survey flags six dark patterns

LocalCircles mapped consumer experiences against the CCPA's dark pattern guidelines and found six categories on the railway ticketing platform

  From unexplained logouts to additional charges, passengers using the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) platform face a series of digital hurdles during the booking process. According to a new LocalCircles survey, several of these design practices amount to dark patterns, or design features that can influence or disrupt consumer choices.

 

The survey, which received more than 90,000 responses from users across 324 districts, found that 70 per cent experienced forced action, while 46 per cent reported nagging and 45 per cent experienced basket sneaking. The findings were mapped against the 13 dark patterns notified by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA).

 

Forced action reported by 70% of users

 

The most prominent finding concerned forced action, which LocalCircles describes in the context of users being logged out without an apparent reason while booking a ticket.

 

42 per cent respondents said this happened “very frequently” and 28 per cent said it happened “sometimes”. Another 15 per cent experienced it rarely, while 15 per cent said they had never faced it.

 

For passengers trying to complete a time-sensitive reservation, being logged out can mean having to restart the process and potentially losing a seat.

 

Nagging and basket sneaking also widespread

 

Two other patterns were reported by a substantial share of respondents:

 

Nagging: 46 per cent said they had been repeatedly prompted or interrupted while booking or cancelling a ticket. The prompts included requests to download the app, share personal details or enable notifications.

 

Basket sneaking: 45 per cent said additional items such as insurance, donations or paid services were automatically added during the booking process without their explicit consent.

 

Hidden charges and interface interference

 

The report also flagged drip pricing, where charges are not disclosed upfront. 43 per cent respondents said they had experienced hidden charges other than taxes during IRCTC bookings or cancellations.

 

Another 31 per cent reported interface interference, where the screen they were using was interrupted, and another product or service was presented for purchase.

 

Meanwhile, 38 per cent said they had experienced bait and switch, where the ticket, train or seat booked was different from the one they had originally requested.

 

Together, the six patterns identified by LocalCircles are:

 

• Forced action – 70 per cent
• Nagging – 46 per cent
• Basket sneaking – 45 per cent
• Drip pricing – 43 per cent
• Bait and switch – 38 per cent
• Interface interference – 31 per cent

 

Findings come after IRCTC website revamp

 

The findings come shortly after IRCTC launched a revamped website on July 15, 2026. According to the report, the new platform increased stated booking capacity and enquiry handling capacity, while adding features such as a fare calendar, seat preference selection, Indian language support and a cleaner interface.

 

However, LocalCircles argues that improving technical performance and addressing dark patterns are separate issues. The findings point to design choices involving charges, add-ons, prompts and the booking interface.

 

LocalCircles said it will submit the findings to the Ministry of Railways, IRCTC and the CCPA. Among its recommendations are:

• An independent third-party dark-pattern audit of the IRCTC website and app
• Defaulting add-ons such as travel insurance to “No”
• Displaying the full payable amount upfront and removing advertising interruptions during the booking journey