Diwali rush: IRCTC website crashes before Tatkal bookings, users frustrated

Thousands of users faced frustration on Friday as the IRCTC website went down just ahead of the Tatkal booking window. With Diwali and Chhath Puja approaching, many travellers were trying to secure last-minute train tickets, only to be met with an error message displaying: “The server is temporarily unable to serve requests. Error code 109.” The downtime quickly became the subject of memes and social media jokes, with many calling the platform an “absolute crash.”

 

Several users took to X to express their annoyance. One wrote, “Hey @IRCTCofficial, you can’t even build a proper website and yet you’re selling us dreams of bullet trains? It’s Tatkal time—people need to reach home for Diwali & Chhath Puja, not your ‘maintenance’ drama. Fix the basics FIRST, then promise the stars.” Another added, “IRCTC down when we need it most. How can one get home for the festival?”

 

Some users requested clarity on when Tatkal bookings would actually open. One user asked, “#IRCTC how to book Tatkal ticket. Now it’s 11 am. How come we know about it? Please specify a time, so we can come back at the specific time.”

Users mock the glitch

 

The downtime also invited humour. A user wrote, “Downtime 10:50 am. Tatkal 11:00 am. The real race isn’t for tickets, it’s between me and your maintenance team #IRCTC #LegendaryTiming @AshwiniVaishnaw sir, please look into it on festival time.” Another joked, “IRCTC servers are powered by Indian Railways’ WiFi—that explains everything.”  ALSO READ | IRCTC offers 20% off return fares for Diwali travel: Here's the fine print

A recurring problem

 

This was not the first time the IRCTC platform has faced technical issues. Outages and glitches have long frustrated travellers, particularly during peak travel seasons. “Every year, same story: IRCTC fails again during Diwali Tatkal bookings. Booking timings are 10:00 am. Till 10:07 AM: Site unreachable. By the time it opens, tickets are gone. For a platform that knows the festive rush is coming, how does this still happen?” a user wrote on X.

Accusations of a scam

 

Several users went further, accusing agents of booking tickets in advance while regular passengers struggle to get any. “Every Tatkal or Premium Tatkal booking day, the IRCTC server collapses like it’s running on 2G. Common passengers get nothing, while agents & booking mafias grab all tickets in seconds,” said one. 

 

Another added, “During Tatkal booking time, the IRCTC website never opens or keeps crashing. This looks like a complete scam—common users can’t book, but agents get tickets easily.”