Hello everyone, Thank you for your continued engagement in this important discussion regarding the accessibility of the new RailOne railway app.
I want to reiterate and further elaborate on the critical issue concerning the CAPTCHA during the ticket booking process. As it stands, the app requires users to solve a visual CAPTCHA before proceeding to payment. This is not merely an inconvenience; it is a fundamental barrier that completely prevents users who cannot solve visual CAPTCHAs from booking tickets. There is no workaround for this within the app itself, nor have I found any success with third-party solutions such as screenshot readers or browser extensions. Even with TalkBack, this crucial step remains inaccessible, effectively rendering the app unusable for independent ticket booking for blind users. This is a severe regression from previous IRCTC services which offered OTP or audio CAPTCHA alternatives. Furthermore, another significant accessibility issue I've encountered pertains to the tick boxes during the ticket booking flow, specifically regarding options like auto-upgradation. In the older IRCTC booking process, screen readers would clearly announce the presence and state (ticked or unticked) of these checkboxes. In the RailOne app, TalkBack does not announce these controls as tick boxes, nor does it indicate their current state. This makes it impossible for a blind user to determine whether an option like auto-upgradation is already selected or to make an informed decision to select or deselect it. This lack of proper announcement of interactive elements is a serious usability flaw. Regarding Sandesh's point that the CAPTCHA issue alone does not necessarily mean the app is inaccessible, I must respectfully disagree. If a user cannot complete a fundamental step like booking a ticket due to an inaccessible CAPTCHA, then for that user, the app *is* inaccessible for its primary function. It is a critical blockage that no amount of general accessibility in other parts of the app can mitigate. The challenge of a blind person solving a visual CAPTCHA without the assistance of TalkBack, Braille, or any other functional third-party tool is precisely the core of the problem, and it's a monumental one that needs immediate attention. My primary aim in raising these points is to highlight the absolute necessity of these accessibility improvements to ensure independent travel for all. Best, Vikas On Wed, 24 Sept, 2025, 3:58 pm Sandesh, <[email protected]> wrote: > You need to be more specific. > which controls are not announced, what accessibility hurdles are present > etc. > In my view, this app is faster compared to IRCTC rail connect app in > almost all aspects including accessibility. Tabs are properly announced. > Previously also, this app on both platforms namely Android and IOS were > discussed and appreciated for its accessibility on this mailing list. > Yes, captcha thing should be notified to the developer. Option of > providing audio captcha or triggering OTP on registered mobile for blind > users as it is available on website and on previous app should also be > undoubtedly implemented. > So, if it is the captcha the culprit, does not necessarily mean the app is > inaccessible or cannot be used. > > Regards > > > Vande Mataram > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Vikas Satya <[email protected]> > *Cc:* [email protected] > *Sent:* Wednesday, September 24, 2025 12:06 AM > *Subject:* [AI] Accessibility issues in the new RailOne railway app > > Hello everyone, > > I'm writing to draw your attention to a critical accessibility issue with > the Ministry of Railways' newly launched "super app," RailOne. This app, > which aims to consolidate ticket booking, live train status, and other > railway services, was released in July 2025 and replaces the older IRCTC > Rail Connect and NTES apps. It can be found on the Play Store here: [ > https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.cris.aikyam&hl=en_IN](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.cris.aikyam&hl=en_IN) > > While the concept of a unified app is commendable, there is a significant > bug that severely hinders or completely prevents its use with screen > readers like TalkBack and VoiceOver. Specifically, several important > controls are not announced by these screen readers, making navigation and > interaction extremely difficult. > > Furthermore, during the ticket booking process, the RailOne app forces > users to complete a visual CAPTCHA without providing an audio alternative. > This is a major regression, as both the IRCTC website and the older Rail > Connect app offered an OTP (One-Time Password) as a fallback option for > users who cannot complete visual CAPTCHAs. The absence of an OTP option or > an audio CAPTCHA in RailOne means that blind users are currently unable to > book tickets independently. > > I believe it is crucial that we raise this issue publicly to encourage the > development team to prioritize these accessibility improvements. Tweeting > at @RailMinIndia and @IRCTCofficial, or posting on other social platforms > where Indian Railways is active, may generate faster attention than private > reports alone. Clear and concise posts calling for an OTP fallback and full > screen-reader support will highlight the importance of independent travel > for all. > > Thank you for helping to shine a light on this matter, ensuring that > everyone can travel independently. > > Best, > mastermind vikas > > -- > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of > the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "AccessIndia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CA%2BwBsuLkJSg56B9_NOvhELWOC2%2BbqcmDtgiqUyNMov4yfsJEgw%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CA%2BwBsuLkJSg56B9_NOvhELWOC2%2BbqcmDtgiqUyNMov4yfsJEgw%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of > the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "AccessIndia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/037a01dc2d3d%24e8cc2460%24c5f212ac%40INBOOKX3Slim > <https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/037a01dc2d3d%24e8cc2460%24c5f212ac%40INBOOKX3Slim?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. 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