New Delhi: Booking or cancelling a train ticket through IRCTC may not always be as straightforward as choosing a train, selecting a seat and making a payment. A new consumer survey has identified six types of dark patterns that users reportedly encounter while using the IRCTC website and app.
The LocalCircles survey covered more than 90,000 IRCTC users across 324 districts and examined their experiences against the 13 categories of dark patterns identified by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) under its 2023 guidelines. The six patterns reported were forced action, nagging, basket sneaking, drip pricing, bait and switch, and interface interference.
70% users reported forced action
Forced action emerged as the most widely reported issue in the survey, with 70% of respondents saying they had experienced it while booking or cancelling train tickets.
The survey specifically asked users whether they had been logged out of IRCTC without an apparent reason during the booking process.
Among 19,425 respondents to this question, 42% said this happened very frequently, while 28% said it happened sometimes and 15% reported it rarely.
For passengers trying to book tickets during periods of high demand, an unexpected logout can be particularly frustrating. A user may have already selected a train or seat and entered information before being forced to restart the process.
What are dark patterns?
Dark patterns refer to design choices on websites and apps that influence users into taking actions they may not otherwise have chosen.
They can include repeatedly prompting users to take an action, adding an unwanted service to a transaction, revealing charges only later or making it difficult to complete the task for which the user originally visited a platform.
The CCPA has identified 13 categories of dark patterns under its 2023 guidelines. LocalCircles mapped IRCTC users’ responses against these categories and identified six patterns in its survey.
The remaining seven categories — false urgency, confirm shaming, subscription trap, disguised advertisement, trick question, SaaS billing and rogue malware — were not established by the survey. However, the report clarified that this does not necessarily mean they do not exist on IRCTC.
Nagging reported by 46% of users
The second most common pattern was nagging, reported by 46% of respondents.
Nagging involves repeated prompts or interruptions that appear while a consumer is attempting to complete a transaction.
According to the survey, users reported seeing repeated requests to download the IRCTC app, provide personal information, enable notifications or consider promotional offers.
For someone attempting to book a train ticket, these repeated interruptions can add friction to what is already a time-sensitive process.
Basket sneaking affects 45%
Basket sneaking was reported by 45% of respondents.
This pattern occurs when an additional product or service appears in a transaction without the consumer actively selecting it.
In the IRCTC context, the survey cited examples including travel insurance, meals and agreements to upgrade to an upper class.
Among respondents to this question, 21% said they experienced the issue very frequently, 24% sometimes and 23% rarely.
The survey also raised the issue of consent for paid add-ons. It pointed to a June 2026 RBI direction for banks under which add-on products must have a default consent setting of “No”, suggesting that a similar approach could be considered for IRCTC.
Under such a system, paid services would remain unticked unless passengers deliberately select them.
43% reported hidden charges
Drip pricing was reported by 43% of consumers who booked or cancelled tickets through IRCTC.
Drip pricing refers to situations where the final cost is not completely disclosed at the beginning of a transaction and additional charges appear later.
Of the 11,462 respondents who answered this question, 25% said they experienced such charges very frequently, 18% sometimes and 6% rarely.
For consumers, the concern is straightforward: the initial price shown during a transaction should provide a clear indication of the amount they will eventually have to pay.
Bait and switch reported by 38%
The survey found that 38% of respondents experienced bait and switch.
This refers to situations in which the ticket, train or seat eventually booked differs from what the consumer originally selected or requested.
Among 11,249 respondents, 19% said they experienced the issue very frequently, 19% sometimes and 11% rarely.
For railway passengers, such discrepancies can be significant because the choice of train, travel class and seat can directly affect their journey and plans.
Interface interference affects 31%
The sixth dark pattern identified was interface interference, reported by 31% of consumers.
This occurs when a user is attempting to complete one task but the interface interrupts the process and presents another product, service or purchasing option.
Of 11,352 respondents, 20% said they experienced this very frequently, 11% sometimes and 8% rarely.
The findings suggest that some users may encounter promotional or commercial elements while attempting to complete a basic railway transaction.
IRCTC revamped its website in July
The survey findings come shortly after IRCTC launched a revamped website on July 15, 2026.
The redesigned platform was intended to handle a larger number of bookings and enquiries. It also introduced features including a fare calendar, seat preference selection, a single screen for different classes, support for Indian languages and a cleaner interface with fewer pop-ups and CAPTCHA interruptions.
However, the report makes a distinction between website performance and consumer-friendly design.
Improving server capacity, reducing crashes and making pages load faster addresses technical performance. Dark patterns, by contrast, relate to how options are presented to users and how the interface influences their choices.
Therefore, a faster website does not necessarily eliminate concerns about the way transactions are designed.
Survey recommends independent audit
LocalCircles plans to submit its findings to the Ministry of Railways, IRCTC and the CCPA, along with recommendations for making the ticket-booking process more transparent.
One of its key recommendations is an independent third-party audit of the IRCTC website and app to identify and remove dark patterns.
The report also recommends that travel insurance and other paid add-ons should have a default consent setting of “No”. This would require passengers to actively choose an additional service instead of having to opt out.
Another recommendation is for IRCTC to display the complete amount payable upfront, including convenience fees and dynamic or flexi-fare components.
The survey also calls for an end to advertising interstitials that interrupt the booking process and for passengers not to be pressured into taking actions or accepting unexpected charges.
CCPA scrutiny could extend to government platforms
The findings also raise a broader question about how India’s dark-pattern rules should apply to government-owned digital services.
The CCPA has already taken action against several private platforms. According to the report, nine platforms, including Zepto, IndiGo, SpiceJet, BookMyShow, FirstCry, PharmEasy, McAfee and Physics Wallah, were penalised by a cumulative amount of nearly Rs 20 lakh for practices including drip pricing, basket sneaking and confirm shaming.
The report argues that consumer protection should apply regardless of whether a platform is privately owned or government-owned.
IRCTC is 68% government-owned, according to the report, and its website and app are used by millions of railway passengers.
This makes the question particularly relevant as more government services move online.
Why dark patterns matter for railway passengers
The issue goes beyond the inconvenience of a few additional clicks.
Railway ticket booking can be time-sensitive, particularly when passengers are trying to secure seats on popular routes or during holiday periods.
If a passenger is unexpectedly logged out, presented with repeated prompts or shown additional services during payment, the booking experience can become more difficult.
Similarly, if additional charges appear only towards the end of the transaction, users may have less opportunity to compare prices or reconsider the purchase.
A transparent interface should make it clear what a passenger is paying for, which services are optional and why an action is being requested.
What IRCTC users should watch for
Until the concerns raised in the survey are addressed, passengers can take a few practical precautions while booking tickets.
They should check the final fare carefully before making payment and review whether any optional services, such as insurance or meals, have been added.
Users should also check the train number, class, seat information and other booking details before completing the transaction.
If the platform presents repeated promotional prompts, passengers should distinguish between mandatory steps and optional offers.
Most importantly, users should review the final amount payable rather than relying solely on the initial fare displayed during the booking process.
A wider challenge for India’s digital services
The IRCTC survey highlights a wider issue as everyday public services increasingly move to websites and mobile applications.
Citizens now depend on digital platforms to make payments, book travel, access government services and complete other essential transactions.
As this dependence increases, interface design becomes an important part of consumer protection.
Users should be able to understand what they are agreeing to and how much they are paying without having to navigate confusing or deliberately distracting interfaces.
The survey’s central message is that consumer-friendly design should be expected from all major digital platforms, including those operated or controlled by government entities.
Conclusion
A LocalCircles survey of more than 90,000 IRCTC users across 324 districts has identified six dark patterns reportedly experienced on the railway ticket-booking platform. Forced action was the most widely reported, with 70% of respondents saying they had encountered it. Nagging was reported by 46%, basket sneaking by 45%, drip pricing by 43%, bait and switch by 38% and interface interference by 31%.
The findings come shortly after IRCTC launched its revamped website in July, which introduced several features aimed at improving the booking experience. However, the survey argues that technical improvements such as faster loading and greater server capacity are separate from the issue of dark patterns in interface design.
LocalCircles has recommended an independent audit of IRCTC’s website and app, clearer upfront disclosure of the complete fare and a default “No” setting for paid add-ons such as travel insurance.
For passengers, the findings underline the importance of checking optional services, reviewing the final fare and confirming train and seat details before completing payment.
As more essential services shift online, transparency will remain crucial. Consumers should be able to complete a basic transaction without being confused, repeatedly interrupted or pushed towards services they did not intend to purchase.