IRCTC Refund Rules: Indian Railways' Important Ticket Cancellation Rules

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) that was launched in 2002 caters 59 lakh daily users with more than 10 lakh online tickets being booked daily through IRCTC portal –www.irctc.co.in – the e-ticketing outlet of the national carrier.

The IRCTC not only offers online facility to book train tickets but also helps passengers cancel tickets as well as assist them get refunds. If a person cancels his/her ticket through IRCTC website or app, the cancellation of IRCTC train ticket would be confirmed online and the refund would be credited to the account of the customer which is used for booking the train ticket.

However, there are certain conditions to avail refunds. Here are some of IRCTC Refund Rules under which you will not get refunded against your ticket cancellation:

1. No refund will be given if a confirmed ticket is not cancelled or the TDR (ticket deposit receipt) is not filed online up to four hours before the scheduled departure of the train.

2. The waitlisted i-tickets can be cancelled at the computerised passenger reservation system (PRS) counters up to 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train. However, no refund of fare shall be admissible if the ticket is not cancelled or TDR not filed online up to 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train.

3. No refund will be granted on cancellation of confirmed Tatkal tickets. For contingent cancellation and waitlisted Tatkal ticket cancellations, charges will be deducted as per existing Railway rules. Partial cancellation of Tatkal e-tickets is allowed.

4. No refund will be made if RAC (reservation against cancellation) e-tickets are not cancelled or the TDR not filed online up to 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train.

5. In case, on a party e-ticket or a family e-ticket issued for travel of more than one passenger, some passengers have confirmed reservation and others are on RAC or waiting list, full refund of fare, less clerkage, shall be admissible for confirmed passengers also subject to the condition that the ticket shall be cancelled online or online TDR shall be filed for all the passengers up to thirty minutes before the scheduled departure of the train.

6. No refund will be admissible if the train is running more than three hours late and the passenger chooses not to travel even if s/he cancels or surrenders, or if the request is filed online after the actual departure of the train.

7. In case a passenger does not take the journey due to (Reservation Against Cancellation) RAC ticket after chart preparation. No refund of fare is admissible on RAC e-tickets is case the ticket is not cancelled or TDR is not filed online up to 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train.

8. In case of I-ticket is lost or misplaced. However, in case of lost, torn, mutilated, confirmed or RAC train tickets, the passenger can issue a duplicate train ticket and can travel on the reserved accommodation.

9. There will be no refund if the passenger does not take the journey due to partially confirmed e-tickets.

10. In case of cancellation of CNF/RAC ticket booked in premium special trains as well, no refunds are given.

11. In case a party is unable to cancel ticket because the chart has been prepared at the originating or previous remote location.

Commuters of the Indian Railways should also go through the official website of IRCTC to know all the important details to avoid any type of inconvenience.