IRCTC Cancellation Rules & Refund Policy 2019: Checkout Updated Rules For Cancelling Your Railway Tickets

Recently, due to the unstoppable rains, trains had to be canceled in several areas.  The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has changed the rules of cancellation and refunds of tickets of trains, keeping in mind if such misfortune arises. 

Here is a complete list of the changed rules that you must know if you have to cancel your train tickets:

• If you have booked an e-ticket from IRCTC’s website, it can be canceled online only, and until the chart of the train is prepared. If you go to the railway counter to cancel the ticket, your ticket will not be refunded. Your money will be refunded by the PRSA system as per existing Railway Refund Rules.

Cancellation of e-Tickets Before Chart Preparation

• If you cancel the ticket more than forty-eight hours before the scheduled departure of the train, you will have to pay the following charges: 
  • AC First Class/Executive Class – Rs.240/-
  • AC 2 Tier/First Class – Rs.200/-
  • AC 3 Tier/AC Chair car/ AC 3 Economy – Rs. 180
  • Sleeper Class – Rs.120/-
  • Second Class – Rs.60/-
• If you cancel your confirmed ticket between forty-eight hours and up to twelve hours before the train is scheduled to leave, a charge of 25% of the fare subject to the minimum flat rate mentioned above will be charged. Additionally, GST will also be charged. 
• If you want to cancel your ticket in less than 12 hours and up to four hours of the departure of the train or the chart preparation, you will have to pay 50% of the fare subject to minimum cancellation charges. 

Cancellation of e-Tickets after the preparation of Reservation charts:

• A normal user’s e-ticket cannot be canceled after the chart is prepared. Such users wil be required to use Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) filing to track the status of the refund of the ticket. The rules of filing TDR are as given below:
  • If the ticket is not canceled or the TDR is not filed online up to four hours before the departure of the train, your money will not be refunded. 
  • If you don’t cancel your RAC e-ticket or file the TDR until up to thirty minutes before the departure of the train, your money will not be refunded.
  • If a party e-ticket or a family e-ticket has been booked for more than one passenger, of which some passengers have confirmed reservation and others are on RAC or waiting list, full refund and less clerkage is allowed for the confirmed passengers, given that the ticket is canceled online or an online TDR is filed for all passengers up until 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train.

For Tatkal Tickets Booked as e-Tickets

• If your Tatkal ticket is confirmed, there will be no refund. Charges as per existing railways rules will be applied for contingent cancellation and waitlisted Tatkal ticket. The IRCTC website states that partial cancellation of Tatkal e-tickets is permitted. 

Cancellation of e-tickets in case the train is canceled

• In the PRS, if the train is shown to be canceled, due to breaches, floods, accidents, or any other such cases, you will get a full refund of your ticket. However, keep in mind that this is eligible only in case the ticket is canceled within three days of the scheduled departure of the train. In case of e-tickets, you can cancel your booked ticket online.