IRCTC Deactivates Three Crore User IDs and Blocks Suspicious Accounts Amid Record Festival Traffic

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation has deactivated over three crore user accounts and suspended more than six crore additional IDs in a sweeping enforcement drive against fraudulent booking agents and automated bots. The massive account purge coincided with unprecedented demand on the national ticketing portal, which crossed the twenty-lakh daily booking milestone for the first time ahead of the peak festive travel season.

According to official data released on September 11, 2026, the railway public sector undertaking completely deactivated 3.04 crore user accounts linked to verified irregularities. A further 6.33 crore user IDs were placed under administrative suspension due to suspicious transaction patterns. These suspended account holders remain barred from purchasing railway tickets until they complete formal identity authentication protocols to verify their legitimacy.

Railway officials reported that the official ticketing portal recorded an all-time high of 20,06,353 ticket bookings on September 7, marking the first time daily transaction volumes breached the twenty-lakh threshold. Booking momentum remained elevated on September 8 with 19,50,699 reservations processed, representing a six per cent increase over the previous year's festive single-day peak of 18,40,203 transactions. Around 89 per cent of all reserved railway tickets across the national network are currently booked through online digital channels.

To accommodate the massive traffic surge without experiencing platform crashes, IRCTC deployed expanded server architecture that effectively doubled the capacity of its online reservation system. The digital infrastructure upgrade followed the July 15 rollout of a redesigned user interface allowing passengers to check seat availability across multiple travel classes simultaneously on a single screen. Despite handling historic daily volumes, system operators maintained continuous service stability throughout the peak booking windows.

The massive account deactivation campaign targets unauthorized booking agents and software developers who deploy automated scripts to corner high-demand ticket inventory during early morning reservation openings. IRCTC reported that the deployment of advanced anti-bot mitigation systems reduced suspicious automated traffic across the booking portal by 55 per cent to 65 per cent.

To ensure fair access for individual travelers, the ticketing platform enforced strict operational curbs by barring authorized business agents from booking tickets during the critical first ten minutes after reservations open, specifically between 8:00 AM and 8:10 AM. Furthermore, individual users attempting to secure reservations immediately when booking windows open are now required to complete mandatory Aadhaar verification.

While proprietary channels process the vast majority of digital transactions, authorized third-party commercial platforms command a substantial minority share of the national ticketing ecosystem. Third-party digital business associates account for approximately 28 per cent of all online railway tickets issued across the country.

Detailing the digital distribution network, IRCTC Chairman and Managing Director Rahul Himalian noted the multi-channel transaction breakdown during an interview. "28 per cent are through the business associates through B2C, B2B, ICS platform, whether it is MakeMyTrip, Paytm, ixigo, ConfirmTkt," Mr Himalian stated regarding the aggregate volume handled by external partners. Within the proprietary ecosystem, the IRCTC Rail Connect mobile application handles 53 per cent of digital bookings, the official website processes 17 per cent, and government-managed arrangements account for approximately two per cent.

Addressing parliament during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted broader modernization and capacity-building initiatives across the national rail network. Mr Vaishnaw informed lawmakers that approximately 1,024 new trains have been introduced nationwide during the post-COVID period to meet surging passenger demand.

In addition to rolling stock additions, the railway administration has incorporated 4,651 new coaches into existing train formations. Emphasizing the social role of public rail transport, the minister stated that 78 per cent of total available train seats belong to general and sleeper classes, catering to middle-class and economically disadvantaged passengers. Mr Vaishnaw also reported that targeted safety investments totaling 1.2 lakh crore rupees have contributed to a 90 per cent reduction in train accidents across the network.

Owners of the 6.33 crore suspended user IDs must complete mandatory authentication procedures to restore full account privileges. The railway administration has not specified a strict terminal deadline for the ongoing account re-verification process, but unverified users remain restricted from accessing booking services until compliance is achieved. IRCTC and security agencies continue monitoring transaction logs for anomalous activity as peak festive travel volumes persist across the national railway network.