New Delhi: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation intensified its anti-fraud and cybersecurity measures in 2025-26, deactivating 3.03 crore suspicious user IDs and intercepting malicious online traffic while recording new milestones in internet ticket booking.
Crackdown on Suspicious Accounts
As part of its efforts to ensure fair access to railway reservations, IRCTC said it deactivated 3.03 crore suspicious user IDs in 2025. The corporation also intercepted substantial volumes of malicious online traffic on a regular basis to safeguard the integrity of the ticketing system.
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According to official data, IRCTC coordinated with law enforcement agencies and lodged 501 complaints on the National Cyber Crime Portal linked to 4.18 lakh suspicious PNRs. It also placed 6.05 crore suspicious user IDs under revalidation to verify authenticity and prevent misuse.
The corporation also blocked 13,343 suspicious email domains during the year as part of its action against fraudulent digital identities.
AI Tools Used to Detect Fraud
IRCTC said it uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect and neutralise fraudulent accounts, particularly during high-traffic booking windows such as Tatkal bookings. The system tracks and deactivates bulk booking attempts and other activities considered suspicious.
Officials said the crackdown on fraudulent IDs is aimed at reducing Tatkal blackouts and keeping the platform accessible for genuine users.
The corporation said these measures form part of wider efforts to balance speed with security as digital ticketing becomes the preferred mode for millions of railway passengers.
Online Booking Reaches New Highs
IRCTC recorded significant growth in online reservations during 2025-26. According to official data, the platform booked an average of 14.53 lakh tickets per day during the year, up from 13.88 lakh average daily bookings in 2024-25.
The platform also set new booking records. Its highest-ever per-minute booking record was achieved on August 16, 2025, when 32,308 tickets were booked at 10:02 AM. Another milestone came on August 19, 2025, when IRCTC recorded its highest-ever single-day booking volume of 18.40 lakh tickets.
Digital channels continued to dominate railway reservations, with nearly 89 percent of all reserved railway tickets in 2025-26 booked through IRCTC’s online platforms.
IRCTC also said its voice and text-based chatbot AskDisha played a major role in ticket booking, PNR status enquiries, cancellations and refunds. Powered by Microsoft Azure, the chatbot understands English, Hindi and Hinglish. In FY 2025-26, around 8.12 lakh reserved rail e-tickets were booked through the chatbot.
