IRCTC Website Not Working?
Yes, the IRCTC website really went down and not quietly. Thousands of travelers trying to grab train tickets for Diwali and Chhath Puja found themselves staring at a stubborn error message that read, “The server is temporarily unavailable due to service requests.” Classic IRCTC drama. Just when you think you’ve beaten the Tatkal timer, the site decides to test your patience instead.
The Great Outage Before Diwali
Every year around this time, there’s a familiar digital chaos. People juggle browsers, OTPs, and “refresh” buttons, hoping to get that one confirmed seat home. But on Friday morning, the IRCTC servers had other plans. Reports said over 5,000 users at once hit errors, frozen payment screens, and half-completed bookings. It wasn’t just a glitch; the site buckled under the festive season’s tsunami of traffic, especially with lakhs of people trying to lock in their travel in one go.
I remember a friend messaging me, “I clicked at 10:00:01. Still got waitlist 84.” Somehow, that sentence captures the collective mood of Indian train travelers right now.
Why It Happened
IRCTC officials confirmed it was a traffic surge, nothing malicious, just too many excited passengers clicking together. Think of it like Diwali rush hour on digital tracks. The backend couldn’t handle the spike, especially during the peak window when AC Tatkal seats open. Tech teams jumped in fast; by midday, parts of the site were back, but payments were still flaky for some users.
The Internet's Reaction
Of course, the internet responded with its favorite weapon memes. Screenshots flooded X (formerly Twitter), jokes flying faster than the Rajdhani Express. One said, “IRCTC is more limited edition than Diwali sweets.” Another wrote, “Server down, spirit up will try again tomorrow.”
What To Do If You’re Stuck
A few quick tips if the site still acts up:
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Try the Rail Connect app later in the day.
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Use third-party booking partners like Paytm or ConfirmTkt.
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Or, old-school, it goes to the counter (they still work fine).
In the end, it’s peak-season India, a little frustration, a little humor, and somehow, everyone eventually gets home.
Disclaimer:
This article provides general information about IRCTC website outages and booking tips. We are not affiliated with IRCTC, and information may change based on official updates.
