Attention travelers! Starting April 1st, Indian Railways has updated its ticket cancellation policies. If you’re canceling a confirmed ticket within eight hours of your train’s departure, be aware that no refund will be processed, extending the previous four-hour rule. This change aims to enhance berth occupancy.
Patna: The railways is set to implement revised ticket cancellation rules from Wednesday (April 1) with full transparency following fresh guidelines issued by the Railway Board.
The new provisions, which are expected to impact passengers planning last-minute cancellations, will be fully implemented from April 1 to 15 in all zonal railways, including East Central Railway (ECR), a Railway Board official said.According to Railway Board sources, as per the updated rules, passengers will no longer be eligible for any refund on confirmed tickets if they are cancelled within eight hours prior to the scheduled departure of the train.
Previously, the no-refund window applied to cancellations made within four hours of the train’s departure. The revised policy aims to streamline ticketing operations and discourage last-minute cancellations, thereby allowing better utilisation of available berths, the sources said.According to ECR chief public relations officer (CPRO) Saraswati Chandra, under the new structure, passengers cancelling their tickets more than 72 hours before the departure of the train will continue to receive a refund after deduction of a flat cancellation charge.
For cancellations made between 72 and 24 hours prior to departure, 25% of the fare will be deducted, while a 50% deduction will apply for cancellations made between 24 and eight hours before the departure of the train, he said.In a passenger-friendly move, the railways has also introduced greater flexibility regarding boarding points. Passengers will now be allowed to change their boarding points up to 30 minutes before the train’s departure, offering convenience to those facing last-minute changes in travel plans. Chandra said the ECR has advised passengers to carefully review the new rules before booking or cancelling tickets as the changes are expected to have a direct bearing on refund eligibility and travel planning as well.
