IRCTC website crashes as bookings for trains reopen

The IRCTC website crashed after booking for tickets reopened for as many as 15 pairs of special trains on Monday. The website crash occured after a surge in user traffic at 4 pm. The Indian Railways had stopped passenger train services on March 22 amid coronavirus pandemic. The government on late Sunday evening announced resumption of booking for trains on special stations -- from New Delhi railway station connecting Dibrugarh, Agartala, Howrah, Patna, Bilaspur, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Madgaon, Mumbai Central, Ahmedabad and Jammu Tawi.

Additional special services will start on new routes based on availability after reserving 20,000 coaches for coronavirus care centres and an adequate number for running up to 300 shramik specials every day, the Indian Railways said in a statement. The travelers can book tickets only through the IRCTC official website or mobile app. No tatkal ticket or premium tatkal reservation will be available for these trains.

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The Railways also said that only the passengers with valid tickets will be allowed to enter the station. "Only passengers with valid confirmed tickets will be allowed to enter the railway stations.  It will be mandatory for the passengers to wear face cover and undergo screening at departure and only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to board the train. Further details including train schedule will be issued separately in due course," the statement added.

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The special trains will reportedly be air-conditioned and the fare will be equivalent to Rajdhani Express fares. Before boarding the train, the passengers will go through a screening.

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