Every morning, millions of Indians log into IRCTC with the hope of securing a train seat — but for most, tickets vanish before they can even type their details. Behind this daily struggle lies a hidden digital ecosystem that’s turning railway booking into a race few can win.
A Growing Shadow Network
According to an investigation by The Indian Express, a sophisticated digital racket is controlling large portions of India’s online railway bookings. This underground network of coders, touts, and agents uses lightning-fast software to bypass the normal booking process, snapping up tickets in less than 15 seconds — faster than any human can type.
The Secret Weapons: ‘BrahMos’, ‘Tesla’, and ‘Avengers’
These software tools — with names borrowed from missiles and superheroes like BrahMos, Tesla, Avengers, and Dr Doom — are capable of autofilling passenger details, handling OTP verification, and even solving captchas automatically.
While a regular user takes about 30 seconds to complete a booking, these apps do it in half the time — ensuring agents always stay ahead of ordinary travelers.
A Lucrative Business Model
Access to these apps doesn’t come cheap. The Indian Express reports that subscriptions are sold through “supersellers” for ₹1,500–₹2,500 per month, while premium versions charge extra per ticket. The latest software, BrahMos, costs ₹99 per ticket for its higher success rate. Many of these programs are believed to have been created by former IRCTC insiders who exploited system loopholes.
Evolving Faster Than Regulation
Despite repeated Railway Protection Force (RPF) crackdowns, the scam has only grown more advanced. Each time authorities block one method, coders develop a faster and more intelligent workaround — keeping the racket one step ahead.
Railways Struggle to Keep Up
In response, the railways have introduced measures like mandatory Aadhaar verification and system upgrades, but experts say these are insufficient against the sheer speed and sophistication of the black-market tools. As a result, many passengers now depend on agents to book their tickets — especially during festivals and Tatkal rush periods.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
