IRCTC platform faces user experience concerns in new survey

A survey conducted by LocalCircles involving over 90,000 respondents across 324 districts has raised concerns regarding the user experience on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) platform.

Approximately 70 per cent of respondents reported experiencing forced or disruptive actions while using the site. Major issues included unexpected account logouts, with 42 per cent of users reporting frequent logouts and 28 per cent reporting occasional ones. The survey also noted that 46 per cent of users encountered repeated interruptions, and 45 per cent observed additional products or services being presented during transactions.

Transparency issues were also highlighted, as 43 per cent of respondents reported encountering charges other than taxes that were not clearly disclosed at the start of the booking or cancellation process. Additionally, some users reported discrepancies where the final ticket, train, or seat did not match their original selection. The findings evaluate these practices against “dark patterns” identified by consumer authorities.