Technology Irctc Services Guide

IRCTC Services Guide – Railway GK Capsule

(Category: Technology & e-Ticketing)

1. IRCTC at a Glance

Parameter Fact
Full Form Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation
Incorporation 27 Sept 1999 (under Companies Act 1956)
Parent Ministry Ministry of Railways, GoI
Share-holding 100 % Govt. of India (Ministry of Railways)
Headquarters New Delhi
Tagline “Lifeline of the Nation” (for Indian Railways); IRCTC brand line: “Your Gateway for Indian Railways”
Official Website www.irctc.co.in
IRCTC Rail Connect App Launch – Sept 2017 (Android), Oct 2019 (iOS)
Languages supported on App 11 (Hindi, English, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, Odia)

2. Core Services & Portals

Service Portal/App Key Feature
1. e-Ticketing (Passenger reservation) www.irctc.co.in / Rail Connect App 8.5 lakh tickets/day peak capacity (2023)
2. Tatkal Booking same as above Opens 10:00 AM (AC), 11:00 AM (Non-AC) 1 day in advance
3. iMudra (pre-paid wallet) iMudra app RBI-licensed PPI; auto-pay integration for rail tickets
4. IRCTC e-Wallet IRCTC site Closed-loop wallet; 0% payment gateway charges
5. Executive Lounge www.irctc.co.in Paid lounge access at 25 major stations
6. Retiring Rooms www.irctc.co.in 1,600+ retiring-room complexes; booking window 365 days
7. Bharat Gaurav Tourist Trains www.bharatgauravtrains.irctc.co.in Theme-based AC tourist trains (launch 14 Nov 2021)
8. Maharajas’ Express luxury train 4 itineraries; 7 nights; tariff ₹3.3–19 lakh/trip
9. Rail Drishti Dashboard raildrishti.irctc.co.in Live train status, PNR, platform info
10. onboard Catering Food Track App e-catering live at 350+ stations, 2,000+ restaurants

3. Numbers That Matter (2022-23)

  • Daily ticket sales average: 5.8 lakh (FY 22-23)
  • Peak single-day record: 28.8 lakh tickets (1 Apr 2023 – Holi rush)
  • Cumulative e-ticket users: 8.4 crore registered (Mar 2023)
  • Mobile app downloads: 100 million+ (Play Store)
  • Payment modes enabled: 18 (UPI, Credit/Debit, Net-banking, Wallet, Sodexo, Pay-later, EMI, etc.)
  • Refund time (e-ticket cancellation): 3-7 working days (98 % within 5 days)
  • IRCTC share listing: NSE/BSE – 14 Oct 2019 (IPO price ₹320)
  • Market cap (Apr 2023): ≈ ₹55,000 crore

4. Technology Upgrades – Quick List

  1. AI-based CAPTCHA (2019) – prevents bot booking.
  2. Vikalp (Alternate Train) scheme – 2016; 2.5% opted passengers benefitted.
  3. Rolling Deposit Scheme (RDS) – 2016; min ₹1,500 deposit, ticket booking without OTP.
  4. Faceless & Paperless ticketing – 100 % e-tickets since Dec 2020.
  5. Baggage Insurance – ₹0.5–12 cover (launched Aug 2017).
  6. RailWire Wi-Fi – 6,100+ stations; avg speed 34 Mbps.
  7. NTES (National Train Enquiry System) – 7.2 crore hits/day peak.
  8. AI-based “Best Matched Package” – launched Dec 2022 for tourist trains.

5. Tatkal & Premium Tatkal Quota Numbers

Class Tatkal % Premium Tatkal % Opening Time Minimum Charge ₹
Sleeper 10 20 11 AM 100
AC-3 Tier 10 20 10 AM 300
AC-2 Tier 10 20 10 AM 400
Chair Car 10 20 10 AM 250

6. Exam-Ready Tables

A. IRCTC Tourist Train fleet (2023)

Train Route Nights Launch Year Operator Max Speed
Maharajas’ Express 7 N/8 D 2010 IRCTC 90 kmph
Palace on Wheels 7 N 1982 upgraded 2017 RTDC + IRCTC 90 kmph
Golden Chariot 7 N 2008 KSTDC + IRCTC 110 kmph
Deccan Odyssey 7 N 2003 MTDC + IRCTC 100 kmph

B. Mandatory Service Charges (as on 1 July 2023)

Mode Charge
IRCTC e-ticket (SL/2S) ₹20 + GST
IRCTC e-ticket (others) ₹40 + GST
Agent booking (SL/2S) ₹40 + GST
Agent booking (others) ₹60 + GST
Platform ticket online ₹50 + GST (IRCTC convenience fee)

7. Frequently Asked RRB Questions

Q1. When did IRCTC become a listed company?

14 October 2019 (IPO on NSE & BSE)

Q2. What is the maximum number of passengers one ID can book in a single PNR?

6 passengers (General/Tatkal); 4 in Premium Tatkal

Q3. Which is the official AI-based chatbot of IRCTC?

“ASK Disha” (launched Oct 2018, upgraded with voice 2021)

Q4. What is the server capacity of IRCTC upgraded in 2022?

24 lakh tickets/hour (from 15 lakh earlier)

Q5. Name the pre-paid wallet launched by IRCTC in 2016.

IRCTC e-Wallet (closed-loop PPI)

8. 15 MCQs – IRCTC Services (Technology)

  1. IRCTC was incorporated under which Act?
    a) Companies Act 2013 b) Companies Act 1956 c) Railway Act 1989 d) IT Act 2000
    Ans: b

  2. What is the peak booking capacity (tickets/day) of IRCTC site as per 2023 upgrade?
    a) 8.5 lakh b) 15 lakh c) 24 lakh d) 28.8 lakh
    Ans: d (28.8 lakh record achieved)

  3. At what time does Tatkal booking open for AC classes?
    a) 8 AM b) 9 AM c) 10 AM d) 11 AM
    Ans: c

  4. Which of the following is NOT a luxury tourist train operated by IRCTC?
    a) Deccan Odyssey b) Golden Chariot c) Vande Bharat Express d) Maharajas’ Express
    Ans: c

  5. The AI-based CAPTCHA introduced by IRCTC in 2019 is called:
    a) SecurePass b) IR-Robot c) Security Image d) No specific name
    Ans: d (no brand name, simply AI-CAPTCHA)

  6. Maximum number of passengers allowed per PNR through IRCTC website is:
    a) 4 b) 5 c) 6 d) 8
    Ans: c

  7. IRCTC Rail Connect App supports how many Indian languages?
    a) 8 b) 10 c) 11 d) 12
    Ans: c

  8. The Rolling Deposit Scheme (RDS) minimum amount is:
    a) ₹500 b) ₹1,000 c) ₹1,500 d) ₹2,000
    Ans: c

  9. Which subsidiary handles IRCTC’s e-catering operations?
    a) IRCTC Tourism b) IRCTC Catering Services Ltd. c) Indian Railways Catering d) IRCTC e-Catering Ltd.
    Ans: b (official division, not separate legal sub but handled by IRCTC Catering)

  10. IRCTC e-Wallet is classified as:
    a) Open PPI b) Semi-open PPI c) Closed-loop PPI d) Bharat BillPay
    Ans: c

  11. The first Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train was flagged off from:
    a) New Delhi b) Chennai c) Mumbai d) Kolkata
    Ans: b (14 Nov 2021, Chennai to Ram Janmabhoomi)

  12. As per 2023 data, approximate daily hits on NTES server is:
    a) 1 cr b) 3 cr c) 7.2 cr d) 10 cr
    Ans: c

  13. Convenience fee for SL class e-ticket is:
    a) ₹15 b) ₹20 + GST c) ₹30 d) ₹40 + GST
    Ans: b

  14. Which digital wallet partnered IRCTC for first-ever auto-upi integration?
    a) Paytm b) Mobikwik c) PhonePe d) iMudra
    Ans: d

  15. The maximum speed of Maharajas’ Express is:
    a) 80 kmph b) 90 kmph c) 110 kmph d) 130 kmph
    Ans: b

Last update aligned with: Indian Railways & IRCTC Annual Report 2022-23, Press Releases up to 30 June 2023.

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