Train Ticket Cancellation and Refund Rules IRCTC

Revised Refund Rules w.e.f. 01.07.2013 

1. Rules of railway ticket cancellation and refund which are in effect now were framed in 1998. Since then a lot of changes have taken place. Now we have a new ticketing and reservation system which is central and online. The new inquiry system ITES-139 is in place and operational all over India, and Indian Railways is offering many services through sms as well. All this forces the revision of 1998 railways ticketing rules.
2. Following are the major changes in refund rules FOR 
   
   

   UNUSED UNRESERVED TICKETS:

• Tickets on which no reservation of berth or seat has been made, can be cancelled with full refund minus the processing charges.
• Unreserved train tickets can be cancelled within three hours of issue of ticket(NOT THE "WITHIN THREE HOURS OF ACTUAL TRAIN DEPARTURE")
• In case of tickets issued in advance the ticket is presented upto 2400 hours of the day preceding the day of journey

UNUSED RESERVATION(RESERVED) TICKET

• If the ticket is presented MORE THAN FORTY EIGHT HOURS IN ADVANCE of the scheduled departure of the train, a minimum of per passenger charge will be deducted as under:

Class	Cancellation Charge
Air-Conditioned First Class/Executive Class	Rs. 120
Air-Conditioned-II Tier/First Class	Rs. 100
Air-Conditioned III-Tier/ 3 Economy/Air-Conditioned Chair Car	Rs. 90
Sleeper Class	Rs. 60
Second Class	Rs. 30

• If the ticket is presented between forty eight hours and six hours of the actual departure of the train, cancellation charge will 25% of the ticket or minimum cancellation charge(given above) whichever is more.
• If you want to cancel your ticket within six hours and upto two hours after the actual departure of the train, the cancellation charge will be 50% of the fare or minimum cancellation charges whichever is more.
• After two hours of the actual departure of the train NO REFUND WILL BE GIVEN.
• Partly confirmed party/family ticket wherein few members have confirmed seats/berths whereas few have waiting tickets, those who are confirmed will also get full refund provided they cancell the ticket within six hours bfore the scheduled departure and upto two hours after the actual departure of the train.

UNUSED WAITLISTED/RAC TICKETS

• Waitlisted/RAC tickets will get full refund(minus clerkage) if presented for cancellation upto three hours after the actual departure of the train.
• The tickets can be cancelled from any PRS counters or the current counters designated for the purpose.
• NO REFUND will be given of after three hours of the actual departure of the train on RAC ticket or Waitlisted ticket.
• If the journey originating station doesn't have the counters open for cancellation as it is night or the station is in hilly and remote area(as notified by railways), the same can be cancelled next day withing two hours of the opening of reservation office.

CANCELLATION OF E-TICKETS(booked online)

• E-Tickets booking and cancellation is online only, the refund of the cancelled ticket will be credited in the same account from which payment was made for online booking.
• In case of confirmed or RAC ticket the same rules will apply as the ticket purchased from a railway reservation window.
• In case of waitlisted ticket that does not get confirmed after chart preparation, such tickets will be cancelled and full refund will be credited in the payee account.
• In case of partially confirmed ticket wherein RAC passengers are not travelling, a certificate has to be obtained from the ticket checking staff, and refund should be applied through TDR indicating the details.

The online TDR shall be filed upto seventy two hours of actual arrival of the train at passenger.s destination and the original certificate issued by the ticket checking staff is to be sent through post to Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation. The fare shall be refunded by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation to the customer.s account after due verification.

•  If you file for a refund for an RAC or confirmed ticket after the chart has been prepared, you have to file a TRD.
• NO REFUND if you are cancelling your ticket after two hours of actual departure of the train for confirmed tickets.
• NO REFUND of RAC tickets if you cancel after three hours of actual departure of the train.

REFUND OF TATKAL TICKETS

• There is no refund for confirmed tatkal tickets even if you cancel it immediately after booking.
• If your tatkal ticket is not confirmed it can be cancelled and the rule for refund will same as unused waiting or RAC ticket.
• In case of party tatkal ticket or family tatkal ticket if all the tickets are not confirmed, and the entire party/family decides not to travel, the confirmed tickets under tatkal scheme will get full refund(minus clerkage) provided that the cancellation is done six hours before the scheduled departure of the train of upto two hours of the actual departure of the train.