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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