A significant disruption at Microsoft has affected users around the world, impacting airlines, telecommunications services, banks, and media organizations. Problems have also been reported at airports and airlines. After several hours of disruption, the technology company has stated that it is gradually resolving the issue affecting access to Microsoft 365 apps and services. Meanwhile, Indian Railways has reported that the railway ticketing system, control office automation, and other railway services have not been affected by this outage. Trains are running on schedule. What does Indian Railways have that prevented them from being impacted when the entire world’s system was shaken by Microsoft’s failure?
Following the outage, social media users are trolling Microsoft and praising Indian Railways for maintaining timely train services despite the global disruption. Many flights and other services around the world were affected, but Indian Railways’ operations remained unaffected. A Twitter user commented, “Microsoft ka baap Indian Railways,” while another praised the railway system, saying it is still the best and most reliable mode of travel.
The railway system is unique in its own right. For Indian Railways, the center for information technology (IT) and e-governance is CRIS, which stands for Centre for Railway Information Systems. CRIS is a key organization under the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India. It provides a range of critical services. CRIS developed India’s central online platform for railway ticket booking, including the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) and the Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS). It operates this system, which offers millions of passengers daily services such as ticket booking, checking reservation status, and canceling tickets.
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CRIS is also responsible for the development and maintenance of the Train Operations System (OTS), which controls and optimizes train movements across the railway network. It provides railway staff with real-time information on train status, track occupancy, and signaling, helping them operate trains efficiently and safely. Additionally, CRIS develops and maintains the Goods Freight System (GFS), which automates the management of freight operations for the railways.
This is why the Indian Railways remained unaffected by the disruption caused by Microsoft’s failure. While airports and airline operations faced interruptions, railway services continued without impact. Airlines like Indigo, SpiceJet, and Akasa experienced disruptions in their online check-in and boarding processes, leading them to switch to manual modes.
On Friday, Minister of Information Technology and Electronics Ashwini Vaishnav stated that his ministry is in contact with the tech giant Microsoft regarding the global disruption in its services. He noted that there was no impact on the country’s NIC network due to this incident. Vaishnav mentioned on the social media platform ‘X’ that the cause of the technical disruption has been identified and updates have been issued to resolve the issue.
