IRCTC News: As the festive season approaches in India, train ticket bookings have started picking up. People travelling to states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand and Assam have started making travel plans. However, passengers reportedly faced difficulties while booking tickets online on the Indian Railways platform in the first week of September. This comes at a time when the new IRCTC Beta website is already available for passengers.
IRCTC Beta Website vs Normal (Classic) Website
The Beta version of the new IRCTC website was launched on July 15 to allow users to experience its new design and features and share their feedback. It comes with a cleaner interface and focuses on reducing some of the steps and distractions that users face on the existing platform.
One of the major differences between the two platforms is the use of CAPTCHAs. On the existing IRCTC website, users had to go through CAPTCHA verification repeatedly during the booking process. This made ticket booking frustrating, especially during peak traffic on the website. The Beta website, however, removes unnecessary CAPTCHA checks, along with unnecessary pop-ups, flashing graphics and other distracting elements, making the booking process faster.
The second feature is an easy process for checking seat availability. On the classic website, passengers needed to check different options or sections when comparing availability across classes, whereas in the Beta version, users can see seat availability across different classes on a single screen.
Checkout And Booking Speed
For booking tickets during high-demand periods such as Tatkal, a good speed becomes important. The existing IRCTC website has a longer booking process with multiple steps before passengers reach the payment option. But the beta version reduces the number of steps involved in the process, making bookings easier.
Easy Repeat Bookings
For passengers who frequently book train tickets, entering passenger information again and again can be time-consuming. By using the Beta website, passengers can save their details and use it for other bookings.
AI Tools Answer Which One Is Better
Gemini's Response
When we asked Gemini, an AI tool, to tell which one it considers better, the tool described IRCTC Beta as the better and more logical choice from a long-term perspective. It noted that the Beta version focuses on reducing friction, limiting repetitive tasks like CAPTCHAs, and optimising transactional speed, while addressing the biggest complaints from travellers.
ChatGPT's Response
When we asked ChatGPT, another AI tool, the same question, it also said the IRCTC Beta website has an edge over the existing IRCTC website based on the features it currently offers. However, it noted that the Beta version is still being tested, and its real advantage will depend on how smoothly it performs when large numbers of passengers log in at the same time.