Indian Railways Breaks Record with 31,814 Tickets Booked in a Minute Amid Digital Transformation

In a landmark achievement showcasing India's digital progress, Indian Railways has set a new record by booking 31,814 tickets in just one minute on May 22, 2025. This record-breaking feat highlights the success of Indian Railways’ AI-powered ticketing system, introduced as part of a major digital transformation aimed at improving security, speed, and fairness in the booking process.

A senior official from Indian Railways stated that 2.5 crore suspicious user IDs have been deactivated as part of efforts to maintain integrity across the platform. The upgraded system now uses artificial intelligence to detect bot-like behavior, significantly reducing the impact of automated and unauthorized bookings. Users can also report suspicious activity through the Cyber Crime Portal.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the online ticketing arm of Indian Railways, has deployed advanced AI-based bot mitigation tools. Previously, bots accounted for nearly 50 percent of login attempts during peak Tatkal booking hours. With the new technology in place, such automated traffic has been almost completely eliminated, ensuring genuine passengers have fair access to tickets.

The digital overhaul also included a partnership with a leading Content Delivery Network provider. As a result, 87 percent of static website content is now delivered via the CDN, enhancing overall website speed and reducing server load during high-traffic periods.

New booking rules have also been implemented to promote fairness. Aadhaar-verified users can immediately book Opening ARP, Tatkal, and Premium Tatkal tickets after registration. In contrast, users who are not Aadhaar-verified must wait three days post-registration to book these categories.

The results of these reforms are already visible. Daily user logins rose from 69.08 lakh in the fiscal year 2023–24 to 82.57 lakh in 2024–25, a growth of 19.53 percent. Average daily ticket bookings also saw an 11.85 percent increase during the same period. Currently, 86.38 percent of all reserved tickets are booked online, reflecting increased user trust and a strong shift towards digital platforms.

A senior railway official remarked, "This achievement is more than just a number. It represents our dedication to delivering a seamless, secure, and fair booking experience to millions of travelers. We will continue to enhance and innovate in line with the vision of Digital India."

Indian Railways confirmed that these developments are part of an ongoing effort to modernize its ticketing systems and strengthen passenger confidence across its digital platforms.