RailEnquiry

You can no longer cancel your ticket 24 hours before the journey and claim a full refund. A full refund now needs a cancellation at least 48 hours before the train’s departure.
    The railways claimed the move was aimed at stopping touts from selling cancelled tickets at high prices at the last moment and at giving waitlisted passengers more time to find out whether they can undertake their journeys.
    The railways has also reduced the time window for a passenger to claim back 75% of the booking amount — you now need to cancel your tickets at least six hours prior to departure.
    The railway ministry on Tuesday revised its refund rules comprehensively. The new rules will come into effect from July 1.
    The railways is already deducting a minimum per-passenger cancellation fee of Rs 120 for AC first class/executive class, Rs 100 for AC-II tier/first class, Rs 90 for AC III-tier, economy and chair car, Rs 60 for sleeper class and Rs 30 for second class. These charges had come into effect from April 1.
    If the ticket is presented for cancellation less than six hours before the train’s scheduled departure or up to two hours after its actual departure, the cancellation charge would be 50% of the fare, subject to a minimum charge. The existing rules had this window set at 12 hours post the train’s departure if the distance was 500 km or more.
    Now, no refund will be granted on the ticket if it is surrendered for cancellation beyond two hours after the train’s departure.
    The time for filing refund claims has also been reduced from 90 days to 10 days after the train’s departure in case of unforeseen circumstances.
    According to the new rules, even those with waitlisted or RAC tickets will have to cancel their tickets three hours before the train’s departure to get the refund.
    The new rules will not entail a refund if the cancellation is two hours after the departure. Existing rules permit cancellation till within three hours of after the train’s departure.
    Justifying the revision, the railway ministry said “railway passengers (cancellation of ticket and refund of fare) Rules, 1998, have not been substantially revised in the last 15 years during which a large number of changes have taken place in the ticketing system of Indian Railways.”
TIME IS MONEY
    To claim 75% of booking amount, you need to cancel your tickets at least six hours prior to departure
    If the ticket is cancelled less than six hours before the train’s departure or up to two hours after its departure, cancellation charge would be 50% of the fare
    From July 1, a full refund will need cancellation at least 48 hours before the train’s departure