More than half of online train ticket booking requests were made by bots in last 6 months: Indian Railways
3 min readUpdated: Jul 22, 2026 02:18 PM IST
Indian Railways has revealed that more than half of all online train ticket booking requests received in the last six months were generated by bots. (Image enhanced using AI)
IRCTC online train ticket booking: Indian Railways said it has taken several steps to protect its online reservation ticket booking system from cyber attacks and hacking tools that automatically fill booking forms. In the last six months, the system received an average of 15.38 billion requests, of which 8.88 billion were identified as bots. This means more than half of all online ticket booking requests were generated by bots.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha on July 22, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared details of suspicious attempts that were blocked from accessing the IRCTC e-ticketing system during the last six months. “Average for last six months: Out of 15.38 billion requests, 8.88 billion were bots(57.74%),” he said. Here is a look at the official data:
Bot Attempts on e-Ticketing System: Last 6 Months
65.95%
Share of requests flagged as bots, June 2026
20.07 Bn
Highest monthly request volume, May 2026
Total Requests vs Spurious (Bot) Attempts Denied
Figures in billion requests; bar height scaled to total monthly requests
12.35 Bn
58.78%
11.01 Bn
45.50%
12.44 Bn
45.90%
17.33 Bn
61.39%
20.07 Bn
60.18%
19.12 Bn
65.95%
Jan 2026
Feb 2026
Mar 2026
Apr 2026
May 2026
Jun 2026
Bot requests (denied)
Legitimate requests
Bot share of total requests has stayed above 45% every month, crossing 60% in four of the last six months, with June 2026 recording the highest share (65.95%) despite a dip in overall volume from May.
Source: Lok Sabha
The Railway Minister also informed the Lok Sabha that the Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrested 22,676 touts between 2021 and June 2026. He said legal action was taken against them under the relevant provisions of the Railways Act, 1989.
Indian Railways Tatkal ticket system
The Union Minister also shared details of the measures taken to curb fraud in online Tatkal ticket bookings:
- Aadhaar authentication to book tatkal tickets
Indian Railways now allows only Aadhaar-authenticated passengers to book Tatkal tickets online. Aadhaar OTP verification has also been introduced to prevent fake accounts, agent misuse, and automated bookings, and to make Tatkal ticket allocation more fair and transparent.
- Application layer Security Control
The national transporter also introduced multiple security measures to stop hacking, brute-force and DDoS attacks on the online ticket booking system. The Railways has also deployed anti-bot tools, firewalls, intrusion prevention systems and web application security layers to block suspicious users and ensure smoother booking for genuine passengers.
- Network and Infrastructure Layer Security Controls
Vaishnaw further said that online ticket booking system is protected by high-availability infrastructure, firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, anti-bot tools and other cybersecurity measures. The system is also equipped with DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) protection with a capacity of nearly 30 Gbps, while specialized agencies monitor the deep and dark web and provide digital risk protection and cyber threat intelligence support.
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- Physical Security Controls
The e-ticketing system is hosted at a dedicated data centre in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. The facility is secured with CCTV surveillance, restricted physical access, and is ISO 27001-certified for information security management.
- Security Audit and Monitoring
The IRCTC ticketing system is connected to CERT-In for round the clock monitoring of security incidents and cyber threats. A dedicated on-site security team also continuously monitors system logs to detect and respond to suspicious activities.
Anti-Fraud Measures on the e-Ticketing System
Key Numbers, FY 2025-26 & 2026-27 (till 30.06.2026)
3.04 Cr
Suspicious user IDs deactivated
6.22 Cr
User IDs placed under revalidation
530
Complaints lodged on National Cyber Crime Portal for suspicious bookings
13,343
Suspicious email domains blocked
How the System is Being Secured
1
Rigorous revalidation and verification of user accounts, leading to the deactivation and revalidation of crores of suspicious IDs.
2
Regular security audits of the reservation system by CERT-In empanelled Information Security Audit Agencies.
3
Continuous monitoring of ticketing system traffic by CERT-In and the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) to detect and prevent cyber attacks.
4
Suspicious bookings reported and acted upon via the National Cyber Crime Portal, alongside blocking of suspicious email domains.
All figures cover FY 2025-26 and FY 2026-27 up to 30.06.2026.
Source: Lok Sabha
Anish Mondal is a journalist with over nine years of experience covering the railways and roadways. Currently a member of the Indianexpress.com editorial team, Anish specializes in high-impact sectors. Professional Journey Anish began his career at the public broadcaster Rajya Sabha Television (now Sansad TV), where he developed a foundational understanding of legislative processes and national governance. In 2018, he transitioned to digital financial journalism at FinancialExpress.com, spending nearly six years refining his expertise in market trends and corporate reporting. Before joining The Indian Express in 2025, he served as a key contributor at ETNowNews.com. Education & Expertise Anish’s reporting is backed by a rigorous academic background in communication and the humanities: Master of Journalism and Mass Communication (MJMC) – Apeejay Stya University Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Production (PGTVRJP) – Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication Bachelor of Arts (English Honours) – University of Calcutta Areas of Coverage Connectivity: Detailed reporting on the expansion of Indian Railways and National Highway networks. ... Read More
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Source: Indian Express
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