WP Official IRCTC app for WP8

[logistopath]

Surprising that IRCTC has brought out an official app for WP devices. I am not sure if there was a similar app for Android or iOS. You can do ticket booking, checking PNR status, availability, etc. There is no Tatkal booking option, as expected. The app runs just fine, although there are a few bugs.
More details here: https://www.irctc.co.in/beta_htmls/irctc_app.html

WP8 app here: http://www.windowsphone.com/en-in/store/app/irctc/df6203c2-1f03-4854-b741-f3599c9f6b92
Windows 8 desktop app here: http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/app/irctc-official/8677711b-15a9-46af-8dfa-644f37460ae0

 

[smnrock]

some where i read, its microsoft(india)'s initiative...

 

[krishnandu]

I'm using the app from day 1..!! It's really great and much better than IRCTC Website.

 

[babhishek]

I'm using the app from day 1..!! It's really great and much better than IRCTC Website.

please elaborate - i have downloaded it but not used it since trains are maybe once a year max!

 

[krishnandu]

^^What elaboration? I mean that the app is really good. Faster than IRCTC Website. IRCTC Website takes years to search and get the list of station names and all. Here on app it's instant.

 

[babhishek]

^^What elaboration? I mean that the app is really good. Faster than IRCTC Website. IRCTC Website takes years to search and get the list of station names and all. Here on app it's instant.

thats's elaboration!! anyways since you asked... - did you book tickets, how was the user experience, does the app have full functionality/can it replace the website completely..

 

[krishnandu]

thats's elaboration!! anyways since you asked... - did you book tickets, how was the user experience, does the app have full functionality/can it replace the website completely..

No didn't booked tickets yet. Checked PNR and all.

But I have checked the process. It's 2 Step process.
1. From plan my travel you need to get the availability information, fare information and train number.
2. You need to book ticket using that train number. On book ticket you can't search and all. So you need to check everything from plan my travel.

 

[motxz]

Any official app available for Android for booking in IRCTC?

 

[hotshot05]

thats's elaboration!! anyways since you asked... - did you book tickets, how was the user experience, does the app have full functionality/can it replace the website completely..

The app will not be able to replace the website since the app does not allow me to open the Plan My Travel page during 8am - 12 noon. Gave me an error "Mobile site cannot be used for booking during 8-12am".
BTW I was just trying to cancel a ticket and not book one. But I cannot access the Booked History page without opening the "Plan My Travel" page first.

P.S - I tried this out on my friend's Lumia 520 last Sunday. I was in a hurry as I had to board my train which was scheduled to leave just 30 mins after this. So I may not have not seen all the options properly. I was a bit stressed as I only had 30 mins to cancel my confirmed ticket or else I would have been charged 25% of the ticket cost as cancellation fee.
I logged into the www.irctc.co.in website using Opera Mini on my Android phone and cancelled my ticket from there.

 

[nimod]

...I logged into the www.irctc.com website using Opera Mini on my Android phone and cancelled my ticket from there.

i guess you mean irctc.co.in.

 

[hotshot05]

i guess you mean irctc.co.in.

My bad. It will be www.irctc.co.in

A strange thing is that the IRCTC website does not always open in Opera Mini. I had tried it just 1 day ago and it did not open. But when I tried it on that Sunday, it opened like a charm.
Opening www.irctc.co.in at 10am on a mobile phone - felt like the luckiest Indian alive

 

[nimod]

A strange thing is that the IRCTC website does not always open in Opera Mini...

so is it strange about opera or irctc?
(don't call lucks here)

 

[hotshot05]

so is it strange about opera or irctc?
(don't call lucks here)

I just tried opening www.irctc.co.in now and it opened up fine. Most likely it was having some problems and so did not open the first time I tried. On that day I tried refreshing the page several times but it did not open properly.

 

[logistopath]

Booked a ticket yesterday using this app. Absolutely no problems faced. [DOUBLEPOST=1380216317][/DOUBLEPOST]The app gives you the option to pin the booked ticket as a tile. You can open this tile without net connected, to view all details and show the TTE. Nifty.

 

[babhishek]

how do you get the TPIN thing to enable this app for login ?

 

[krishnandu]

how do you get the TPIN thing to enable this app for login ?

Go to IRCTC Website and generate TPIN. Check the link How To Generate TPIN there on App, it's written step by step with screenshots.

 

[krishnandu]

@hotshot05 Yes, it's build on the API, so timing restriction will be there as like other 3rd Party sites. So you can't replace website with the app in emergency.

And as for booking ticket, as said above by @logistopath it's not website, and they have planned the UI keeping everything in mind. Almost all the train ticket booking apps out there irrespective of OS, needs to get you the train no. first. They just kept Planning (Get Train No, Availability etc.) and Booking different. This have many advantages in comparison to disadvantages.

First of all, keeping things together can be failure in emergency, and when there's too much traffic, also the UI will be cluttered. So peoples who journey frequently or on monthly basis or something like that, knows the Train No. They just need to check the availability and all and book ticket. Even the manual way works like that only. Peoples looks for train's and get information from Trains At A Glance and then go to book ticket. Also in websites, you look for available trains for specific place and then they book.