New Delhi, June 2, 2025: Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has further enhanced the travel experience for passengers with the upgraded version of its AI-powered virtual assistant, AskDISHA 2.0. This intelligent chatbot is designed to simplify various aspects of railway travel, including ticket booking, refund status checks, and ticket cancellations, making these processes incredibly user-friendly, even for those less familiar with technology.
AskDISHA 2.0, which stands for Digital Interaction to Seek Help Anytime, leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning, including natural language processing, to assist passengers seamlessly. Developed by CoRover.ai, this chatbot is accessible on both the IRCTC website (www.irctc.co.in) and the IRCTC Rail Connect mobile application. It supports communication through text and voice commands in Hindi, English, and Hinglish, ensuring accessibility for a diverse range of users.
One of the most remarkable features of AskDISHA 2.0 is its ability to facilitate ticket booking without requiring an IRCTC password, utilizing a simple OTP-based authentication. This eliminates the need to remember complex passwords, making the booking process faster and more convenient than ever before.
Booking tickets has become remarkably easy with AskDISHA 2.0:
Passengers can initiate the process by visiting the IRCTC website or opening the mobile app and clicking on the AskDISHA 2.0 option, typically located at the bottom corner of the screen. Alternatively, they can use voice commands by tapping the microphone icon. Users then provide their travel details, such as the starting station, destination, date of travel, and preferred train class (e.g., Sleeper, 3AC). This information can be entered through typing or voice input.
AskDISHA 2.0 instantly displays a list of available trains, their timings, and seat availability. Passengers can select their preferred train, class, and seat. The chatbot then guides them through the payment process, sending an OTP to their registered mobile number for secure transaction completion. Within minutes, the ticket is booked, and a boarding pass is generated. According to IRCTC CMD Rajni Hasija, this conversational approach marks a significant milestone in simplifying train ticket booking.
Checking refund status is now hassle-free:
Gone are the days of tedious processes to track refunds after ticket cancellations or failed transactions. With AskDISHA 2.0, checking the refund status is straightforward. Users simply need to open AskDISHA 2.0 on the IRCTC platform and type or speak “refund status.”
The chatbot presents three options: ticket cancellation, failed transaction, or ticket deposit receipt (TDR). By providing the PNR number of the relevant ticket, AskDISHA instantly displays the refund status, including whether it has been processed and the expected timeframe for the amount to be credited. In case of a failed transaction, the chatbot also offers the option to retry the transaction within 15 minutes, ensuring booking continuity, a particularly useful feature for Tatkal and Premium Tatkal ticket bookings.
Instant ticket cancellation:
Cancelling tickets has also been streamlined with AskDISHA 2.0. Users can initiate the cancellation process by opening the chatbot and typing or speaking “cancel ticket.” After logging in with their registered mobile number, the chatbot displays the tickets booked under their account. Upon selecting the ticket to be cancelled and confirming the action, the ticket is cancelled instantly, and confirmation is sent via SMS to the registered mobile number.
AskDISHA 2.0 also assists with understanding IRCTC’s cancellation rules and even helps in filing a Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) online for refunds in cases where cancellation occurs after the train chart is prepared.
Beyond booking and cancellation, AskDISHA 2.0 offers a wide array of features, including:
- Checking PNR status
- Changing boarding station
- Viewing booking history
- Downloading e-tickets
- Providing information on Tatkal booking timings
- Displaying train running status
- Offering details about IRCTC tour packages
Notably, AskDISHA 2.0 provides round-the-clock assistance, allowing passengers to seek travel-related information at any time. Its multilingual support, including regional languages like Gujarati, and voice command functionality make it particularly beneficial for elderly individuals and those less comfortable with technology. IRCTC’s AskDISHA 2.0 is proving to be a significant step towards enhancing passenger convenience and embracing technological advancements in railway services.