Over 3 crore fake accounts removed from IRCTC portal: Ashwini Vaishnaw

New Delhi: More than three crore fake accounts from the IRCTC portal have been removed as part of efforts to deal with touts selling train tickets and around 78 per cent of the seats in trains are in the non-AC categories, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday.

Asserting that the government's focus is to ensure comfortable and affordable services to the people, the minister also said that more than 75,000 special trains have been operated so far this financial year.

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Vaishnaw was responding to supplementaries during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha related to overcrowding in long distance trains.

Steps have been taken to tackle the issue of touts selling train tickets and over three crore fake accounts have been removed from the IRCTC portal, he said and stressed that genuine passengers are getting train tickets.

According to him, around 70 per cent of the coaches in trains are general and sleeper coaches while 78 per cent seats are in the non-AC categories.

About running more trains during peak seasons, he said the government introduced more number of special trains compared to the UPA government.

The minister also said that due to focus on railway safety, consequential accidents have come down 90 per cent.

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Earlier, the House also paid tributes to former members Visnu Modi and Datta Meghe who passed away this month.

As a mark of respect for the departed souls, the members and Speaker Om Birla also stood in silence for a brief while.

Before mentioning the obituary references, Birla urged the members to come to the House after going through the agenda for the day as some members were shouting slogans.