Wed Mar 12 05:20:00 UTC 2025: ## IRCTC Website and App Issues Hamper Holi Travel Bookings
**New Delhi, March 12, 2025** – As millions of Indians prepare to travel home for Holi celebrations, widespread technical issues with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website and app are causing significant disruption. Users across the country reported difficulties booking tickets, especially during the peak “Tatkal” (instant booking) period, beginning around 10:00 AM.
Complaints began flooding social media platforms around 8:00 AM, peaking at 8:20 AM, according to outage tracking website Down Detector. Many users reported that the IRCTC Connect app was not working, displaying error messages indicating server connection problems. Some also reported problems accessing the website itself.
One user, Rishabh Vishwakarma, tweeted that he had been unable to book tickets for two days due to the app malfunctioning. He shared a screenshot of an error message advising him to check his internet connection. Similar complaints poured in from users in major cities including Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Pune, and Chennai.
While IRCTC acknowledged the user complaints, it insisted via Twitter that the website was functioning correctly and that any issues were temporary. The organization advised users to clear their browsing history and cache before retrying. However, the continuing reports of widespread access problems suggest that the issues are more widespread and impactful than initially stated. The disruption is causing significant anxiety for travelers hoping to reach their families for the Holi festival.
First Piper 