Be ready to lose more on refund of your railway tickets. The new rule for cancellation comes into force from July 1.
“The proliferation of computerised Passenger Reservation System, computerised Unreserved Ticketing System, reservation through Internet, Integrated Train Enquiry System warranted that the Refund Rules be revised comprehensively,” Railway Ministry’s Additional Director-General (PR) Anil Kumar Saxena said. The department claims these changes are aimed at adding efficiency in processing and reduction of bogus refund claims.
For unused reservation tickets, cancellation more than 48 hours in advance, instead of the existing 24 hours, would attract a minimum per passenger cancellation charge of Rs120 for AC-I/executive class, Rs100 for AC-II/ first class, Rs90 for AC-III/economy/AC chair car, Rs60 for sleeper and Rs30 for second class.
Cancellation charge would be 25 per cent of the fare for refund sought between 48 hours and up to six hours, instead of the existing 24 hours and up to four hours before the scheduled departure.
“No refund shall be granted on the reserved ticket if it is surrendered for cancellation after two hours of the actual departure of the train,” a Railway official said. For waitlisted and RAC tickets, no refund of fare shall be granted after three hours of the actual departure of the train.
Similarly, no refund of fare shall be admissible on confirmed Tatkal ticket. “In case of Tatkal ticket on waitlist, refund of fare shall be granted in accordance with rule for unused waitlist or RAC ticket,” the Railway official said. For journeys not undertaken due to delay in departure, refund will now be claimed only up to the actual departure of the train instead of a maximum 12 hours after the departure period.