Hi Vaishnavi and all,
It is encouraging to see such active participation and the
comprehensive list of issues being shared regarding IRCTC
accessibility. Building on the points already raised, I would like to
contribute the following observations to our collective feedback:
1. ARIA Alert and Notification Persistence
While there are some accessibility alerts present, they often
vanish too quickly for screen readers to capture and announce them
effectively. This results in users missing critical status updates or
error messages. I recommend ensuring that all ARIA live region
notifications remain persistent or have a sufficient time delay to be
fully read by assistive technologies.
2. Logical Heading Structure for Train Lists
Regarding the presentation of available trains, I suggest
implementing a logical heading hierarchy. Organizing the results by
heading levels (e.g., Heading Level 3 for each train name/number)
would allow users to navigate quickly between trains. Under each
heading, users could then easily find sub-sections to select travel
classes, check berth availability, and view other relevant details.
3. Session Lockout Logic for Assistive Technology Users
Currently, if a user interacts with a button multiple times, IRCTC
often triggers a security error that terminates the session. While we
acknowledge the importance of session security, screen reader users
may inadvertently trigger multiple clicks while navigating or
confirming element focus. I suggest a middle ground where the system
implements a slightly higher threshold for rapid interactions or
provides an accessible warning before a lockout occurs, ensuring that
security measures do not disproportionately penalize users of
assistive technology.
Thank you for coordinating this effort to improve digital inclusion
for all travelers.
Best regards,
UDIT Pandey
Phone & WhatsApp: +91 99909 55800
Email: [email protected]
Warm regards,
Udit Pandey
📱 Phone & WhatsApp: +91 99909 55800
📧 Email: [email protected]
📸 Instagram: udit.pandey123
🙏 Wishing you and your loved ones safety, peace, and strength.
🕊 Let us speak no evil, see no evil, and hear no evil.
On Sun, Jun 14, 2026 at 9:47 AM shirin kheriwala <[email protected]>
wrote:
Subject: Comprehensive Accessibility Feedback and Audit Findings
for the IRCTC Website
Dear IRCTC Support / Technical Team,
I am writing to share a detailed accessibility audit of the IRCTC
website, specifically focusing on the user experience for
individuals who rely on screen readers and assistive technologies.
While navigating the platform to book tickets, I encountered
several significant barriers that conflict with standard web
accessibility guidelines (such as WCAG 2.1).
Below is a detailed list of the critical issues identified, which
urgently require your technical team's attention:
### **Key Accessibility Findings & Issues**
1. **Login Button Visibility & Placement:** The login button is
highly difficult to locate, causing initial navigation friction.
2. **Missing ARIA Live/Alert Announcements on Login:** If a user
submits incorrect information on the login page, no error messages
are announced via aria-live or standard alerts, leaving screen
reader users unaware of the failure.
3. **Inadequate Page Titles:** The page title does not
dynamically update to provide a hint or clue confirming whether a
user has successfully logged in or is still on the public page.
4. **Lack of Bypass Blocks:** There is no "Skip to Content"
mechanism or properly defined ARIA landmarks to allow users to
bypass repetitive navigation blocks.
5. **Absence of Heading Structure:** The website lacks a logical
heading hierarchy (<h1> to <h6>), making it incredibly difficult
for screen reader users to orient themselves or understand their
current location on the page.
6. **Non-Tabular Train Information:** Train search results and
information are not published in a standard tabular format, making
complex data navigation tedious and inefficient.
7. **Loss of Focus After Class Selection:** Upon selecting a
travel class, the screen reader focus is lost and jumps
sporadically instead of remaining on the selection. This forces
the user to re-search for the train all over again to proceed with
booking.
8. **Misleading Date/Class Validation Error:** Users are required
to click the available date within the train information to
re-confirm it. If this step is missed, the system erroneously
displays a "Select the Class" error message instead of prompting
for the date, causing severe confusion.
9. **Missing Error Announcements on Passenger Page:** Similar to
the login page, form validation errors on the passenger
information page are not announced by aria-live or alert roles
when an error is committed.
10. **Undefined Roles on the Payment Page:** The payment options
lack clear element roles (such as explicit buttons or links).
Because of this, assistive technology cannot communicate what
elements are clickable, leaving users unable to distinguish
between actionable options and static text.
### **Conclusion**
Please note that these observations represent major friction
points but are not exhaustive; there may be additional underlying
accessibility gaps across the portal.
As IRCTC is a vital public utility platform used by millions,
ensuring digital inclusivity is paramount. I request your
development team to review these points and implement standard
ARIA roles, robust focus management, and dynamic live regions to
make the ticket booking process seamless for citizens with visual
impairments.
I look forward to hearing about the steps being taken to resolve
these accessibility barriers.
Sincerely,
Sent from my iPhone
On 14 Jun 2026, at 8:35 AM, Zoher Kheriwala <[email protected]> wrote:
Hello friends, following are my findings on IRCTC website
Number one, login button, difficult to locate
Number two, no error messages are announced through alert or Arya
live regarding wrong submission of information on login page
Number three, the page title does not give any hint or clue that
the person is logged in
4.
No mechanism to skip to content or bypass block through landmarks
Number five, no heading structure is created to understand the
location of screen reader on a page Nu Number six, train
information is not published in a tabular format to navigate
easily Number seven, after selecting the class, the focus does
not remain on the selection but goes here and there again. We
have to search the train to book the ticket. Number eight, again,
we have to click on the date available in the train information
to reconfirm it, but if it is not done, then the wrong error
message is given that select the class. Number nine on passenger
information page. If we commit any error, the Arya live or alert
does not announce the error, which we done. Number 10 on payment
page, no role of button or links are given in the payments
option. So user does not come to know that what should be clicked
and what can be avoided.
These are some of my observation, but not limited to this, there
might be many other
Sent from my iPhone
On 14 Jun 2026, at 7:51 AM, BHAWANI SHANKAR VERMA
<[email protected]> wrote:
A significant amount of work is still required to make the IRCTC
website fully accessible. Meaningful progress can be achieved
through direct engagement with the website’s developer, CRIS;
otherwise, filing a PIL alone does not serve the intended purpose.
I recall my own case against IRCTC before the Hon’ble CCPD,
where our learned advocate Mr. Subhash Vashishth, along with Mr.
Prashant from NAB, presented detailed arguments and discussions.
As a result of those proceedings, the CAPTCHA mathod was
replaced with OTP authentication, and later, the online card
system was introduced for ticket booking.
On 6/13/2026 9:37 AM, Vaishnavi Jayakumar (Inclusive India) wrote:
Udit,
Please could you share the screen recording to
[email protected] - this is very valuable for
sighted people to realise what the UX issues are practically.
On Sat, 13 Jun 2026 at 02:44, UDIT Pandey <[email protected]>
wrote:
Dear Vaishnavi and all,
In addition to the issues I previously noted, I have
recorded a live screen share to demonstrate these
accessibility errors in real time.
Best regards,
UDIT Pandey
On Sat, 13 Jun 2026 at 02:18, UDIT Pandey
<[email protected]> wrote:
Dear Vaishnavi and all,
I would like to share a structured compilation of
critical accessibility defects identified on the IRCTC
website, captured directly from the browser's
accessibility tree. While some issues may be
intermittent, these have been persistent in my
experience. Furthermore, account creation has become
nearly impossible for most users, potentially due to
underlying infrastructure issues. These errors create
significant complications and prevent existing users
from logging in.
1. Focus Defect on Login Mechanism
- Issue: The "Login" option is omitted from the
page's focus order. Users navigating via the Tab key or
screen reader shortcuts cannot discover or trigger the
Login dialog.
- Impact: This is a critical blocker; assistive
technology users cannot access their accounts.
- Required Fix: Ensure the Login element uses a
native <button> or includes role="button" and
tabindex="0" with clear accessible text.
2. Date Picker Widget Overlap & Lack of Input Choice
- Issue: Typing a valid date manually into the
journey date field leaves the visual calendar popup
open indefinitely. There is no independent mechanism to
bypass this mouse-driven calendar.
- Impact: This creates keyboard traps and interferes
with subsequent form processing, such as selecting "All
Classes".
- Required Fix: Automatically close the overlay once
a valid date format is entered, and implement native
combobox selectors or an explicit aria-expanded toggle
for the interactive grid.
3. Broken Semantics on Holiday and Service Shortcuts
- Issue: Essential service links (Trains, Buses,
Flights, Holidays) are rendered as empty entities or
generic static strings in the accessibility tree. There
are also "ghost" links present near the "From" station
selector.
- Impact: Screen reader users hear "List item,
blank," making these service gateways unusable.
- Required Fix: Apply explicit text nodes or clear
aria-label fields (e.g., aria-label="Book Bus Tickets")
across all category lists and remove dead structural
markup.
Best regards,
UDIT Pandey
--
Warm regards,
Udit Pandey
📱 Phone & WhatsApp: +91 99909 55800
📧 Email: [email protected]
📸 Instagram: udit.pandey123
🙏 Wishing you and your loved ones safety, peace, and strength.
🕊 Let us speak no evil, see no evil, and hear no evil.
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