IRCTC ticket cancellation rules: Indian Railways passengers alert! You won't get refund in these conditions

Indian Railways' online ticketing arm Indian Railway catering and tourism corporation (IRCTC), through its massive network is extending online train ticket booking as well as cancellation services to passengers travelling through the national transporter across the country. Notably, the IRCTC charges cancellation fees if you go for cancellation of your train tickets. The IRCTC website informs that train tickets can be cancelled only through the portal: www.irctc.co.in, but prior to the preparation of train chart.

If you want to cancel your train ticket, you should click on ‘booked tickets’ section on the website and select the ticket to be cancelled. The cancellation of ticket would be confirmed online and the refund would be credited to your account which was used for ticket booking. If there is any partial cancellation of ticket, you should ensure that a fresh e-reservation slip (Electronic Reservation Slip) is printed separately as done for the original ticket. 

However, the website talks about certain terms and conditions which are given here:

1. If a confirmed ticket is cancelled more than 48 hrs before the scheduled departure of the train, flat cancellation charges will be deducted: Rs 240 for AC First Class/Executive Class ticket; Rs 200 for AC 2 Tier/First Class ticket; Rs 180 for AC 3 Tier/AC Chair car/ AC 3 Economy ticket; Rs 120 for Sleeper Class ticket and Rs 60 for Second Class. These cancellation charges are per passenger. 

2. If a confirmed ticket is cancelled within 48 hours and up to 12 hours before the scheduled departure of the train, charges shall be 25% of the fare subject to the minimum flat rate mentioned in the above clause. 

3. For less than 12 hours and up to four hours before the scheduled departure of the train up to chart preparation which is earlier, cancellation charges will be 50% of the fare paid subject to the minimum charges. Notably, the chart preparation time is from the Train Originating Station or from the previous chart Preparation station.

4. For cancellation of e-Tickets after the preparation of Reservation chart, normal user should know that it cannot be cancelled, and they are advised to use the online TDR filing for such cases and track Status of the refund case through tracking service provided by IRCTC. TDR can be filed as per Railway rules.

5. No refund of fare shall be admissible on the tickets having confirmed reservation in case the ticket is not cancelled or TDR not filed online up to four hours before the scheduled departure of the train.

6. On RAC e-tickets, there is no refund of fare if the ticket is not cancelled or TDR not filed online up to thirty minutes before the scheduled departure of the train.

7. In case of 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 clerage, shall be admissible for confirmed passengers if the tickets are cancelled online or online TDR filed for all the passengers up to thirty minutes before the scheduled departure of the train.

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8. In case of Tatkal Tickets booked as e-Tickets, there will be no refund 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.