Thyrocare founder slams railway tatkal system as tickets gone in 60 seconds– offers this unique solution

Every morning, thousands of people across India log on to the IRCTC website, hoping to book a Tatkal ticket. The booking window opens at 10 AM sharp, and within seconds, the tickets are gone.

The site slows down, payments fail, and many users are left frustrated, staring at a screen with no clear answers.

For those who need to travel urgently, it often ends in disappointment.What was designed to support last-minute travel has now become a stressful and unreliable experience. And now, concerns about the system are being raised not just by passengers, but also by voices from outside the railway network, including those in the healthcare sector.Dr A. Velumani calls out system failureDr. A. Velumani, the founder of Thyrocare, recently took to social media to raise concerns about the Tatkal booking system. Reacting to a post that showed how the platform crashes almost immediately after bookings open, he called the experience “shocking” and suggested it reflects deeper issues in how the system is managed.Rather than just point out the problem, he also offered a practical solution based on his own company’s experience handling high digital traffic.

He recommended staggering Tatkal bookings– opening slots for different trains at different times instead of all at once. According to him, this approach helped Thyrocare avoid system crashes without needing to invest heavily in additional servers.Public frustration runs deep

For many users, problems with Tatkal bookings are all too familiar. While some point to overloaded servers, others feel the bigger issue is unfair access. Travel agents using automated tools are often blamed for grabbing tickets within seconds, leaving regular users behind.Frustrated passengers say they’ve had to rely on agents, try booking from multiple devices, or even ask railway staff for help just to secure a seat. On social media, many compare the experience to a lottery, where most people feel they have little to no chance of actually getting a ticket.Survey reveals low success rateA national survey by LocalCircles, carried out between April and May 2025, as reported by the Economic Times, shows just how tough it has become to book a Tatkal ticket online. The survey gathered responses from over 55,000 people across 396 districts:

73% said they were waitlisted within the first minute of trying to book.29% said they managed to get a ticket only 0–25% of the time.Another 29% said they were never successful.Only 10% said they got a ticket every time they tried.Many users also shared that they’ve now turned to travel agents or other workarounds, saying they no longer trust the regular online booking system.