Google Maps announced a deep integration with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation to enable real-time train search, live availability checks, and direct ticket booking within the Google Maps application for all 350 million Indian Maps users. The integration, the first of its kind between a global mapping platform and a national rail booking system, allows users to search for train routes between any two Indian cities, compare classes and prices, and complete bookings through UPI or debit and credit cards without leaving the Maps app.
IRCTC Chairman Sanjay Jain said the partnership will make India rail travel accessible to millions of users who currently find the IRCTC portal complex to navigate, particularly first-time users and domestic tourists. Google India VP Sanjay Gupta said India trains are a critical part of daily life for hundreds of millions and integrating them into Maps creates a seamless multimodal travel planning experience. The integration also shows live platform information, expected delays from Indian Railways real-time data feed, and last-minute seat availability updates. Rollout to all Indian states was completed within four weeks of the initial launch in five metro cities.