IRCTC E-Ticket Cancellation: How to cancel and get refund

Want to cancel your train ticket but don’t know how to get a refund? If yes, then there’s no reason to worry. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has created a new set of refund rules with an aim to plug the scope of misuse and facilitate passengers with paperless ticketing.

Here is everything you need to know about IRCTC refund policies, cancellation charges and more. Read on!

How can I cancel my counter ticket and claim a refund?

If you wish to cancel your counter ticket and claim refund, follow the below steps:

1. First, go to the official IRCTC portal i.e. irctc.co.in.
2. Then you need to enter your PRN number, train number and captcha on the portal.
3. Go through the terms and conditions and click on the checkbox to confirm that you’ve read them.
4. Once you click/tap on the Submit button, you’ll receive an OTP on the mobile number provided at the time of booking.
5. You need to enter the OTP and then click on Submit. After the OTP is validated, your PRN details will be displayed on your screen.
6. After verifying the details, click on the ‘Cancel Ticket’ tab for full cancellation. Then the refund amount will be displayed on your screen.
7. You’ll receive an SMS with your PNR and refund details. The message would detail your refund amount and the locations from which it can be collected.

If you want to cancel 24 hours prior to the departure time of the scheduled train, you can collect the refund amount from any PRS counter of Indian Railways by submitting the original PRS document.

Note that in case of confirmed tickets, the cancellation can only be done up to four hours before the scheduled departure time of the train. For RAC/waitlisted tickets, the cancellation can be done up to thirty minutes before the scheduled departure time of the train.

If you wish to claim the refund offline, visit the nearest PRS counter of Indian Railways and fill the cancellation requisition form with the required details.

Cancellation rules to remember for counter tickets

• Note that you can only cancel your ticket online if you have the registered mobile number.
• Refund for counter tickets cancelled through a PRS counter is permitted under normal circumstances only. Your request for cancellation of tickets and refund of fare will not be processed in case of delayed trains or cancellation of the train.
• When you confirm full cancellation of PNR, it will be marked as cancelled ‘but not refunded’ in the system. This means that only the berth (seat) will be released, and the refund amount due will be displayed on your screen.

How can I cancel my e-ticket and claim a refund?

The procedure for e-ticket cancellation and claiming a refund is a little different than counter tickets. Here is a step-by-step guide for the same:

1. Log on to www.irctc.co.in and go to ‘booked tickets link’, then select the ticket you want to cancel so that the cancellation process can be initiated.
2. Once the cancellation of your ticket is confirmed online, the refund amount will be credited back to the bank account you used for booking the tickets online.
3. In case of partial cancellation of the ticket, you need to make sure that a fresh e-reservation is printed separately.

Remember that you need to cancel your e-ticket before the chart preparation of the train. Also, you can’t cancel your e-ticket from railway counters.

IRCTC refund rules for confirmed tickets before chart preparation

When you cancel a confirmed ticket, the refund amount is calculated based on when your cancellation time with regard to the departure of the train. The refund policies for cancelled confirmed tickets are as follows:

48 hours in advance of the scheduled departure of the train: Refund after deducting a minimum flat cancellation fee of

• Rs.240 plus GST for AC First/ Executive Class
• Rs.200 plus GST for First Class/ AC 2 Tier
• Rs.180 plus GST for AC Chair Car/AC 3 Tier/AC 3 Economy
• RS. 120 for Sleeper Class
• Rs. 60 for Second Class

48 hours to 12 hours: 25% of the fare subject to the minimum flat rate plus GST applicable for all AC classes

12 hours and up to 4 hours: Refund after deducting 50% of the base fare subject to the minimum flat cancellation charges.

After the train has departed: no refund.

Railway refund rules for confirmed tickets after chart preparation

In order to get a refund for a confirmed ticket after the chart preparation (that is, within 4 hours of the scheduled departure of the train), you need to file a Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR).

Note that refund is not applicable in case the confirmed ticket is not cancelled or TDR is not filed up to 4 hours before the commencement of the journey.

The refund of ticket fare filed through TDR will take a minimum of 60 days.

Cancellation charges for RAC or waitlisted tickets

• If a RAC ticket is cancelled up to 30 minutes after the scheduled departure of the train, the refund shall be made after deducting a cancellation charge of Rs.60 plus GST per passenger.
• To get a refund for a RAC ticket after preparation of the chart, you need to file a TDR at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train.
• If your RAC ticket gets confirmed reservation at the time of chart preparation, the refund rules for confirmed tickets shall be applicable.

Cancellation charges for partially confirmed tickets

• If you cancel your waitlisted e-tickets up to 30 minutes before the commencement of the journey, full refund of fare less cancellation charge of Rs.60 plus GST shall be applicable.
• As per the Railway refund rules, if the status of your waitlisted ticket remains the same even after chart preparation, your fare will be refunded automatically after deducting applicable fees.
• If you have waitlisted counter tickets, you can get them cancelled at a PRS counter or IRCTC website up to 30 minutes before the commencement of the journey and receive a refund from the counter.

 Railway refund rules for Tatkal ticket cancellation

• Note that no refund is granted if you cancel your confirmed Tatkal tickets.
•  For waitlisted Tatkal tickets, you are entitled to get a refund as per the RAC refund rules of the Indian railways.
• You’ll get a full refund of your confirmed Tatkal tickets if you can cancel it under any of the below circumstances:
• The train gets delayed by over 3 hours at the station from which your journey is supposed to start.
• The train is set to follow a diverted route by which you don’t wish to travel.
• The train is set to take a diverted route and your source station, destination station or both stations don’t fall on that route.
• The coach in which you’re granted a Tatkal ticket is not attached to the train and you aren’t provided with a seat in the same class.
• You’re provided with a seat in a lower class in which you don’t wish to travel. However, if you opt to travel in a lower class, a refund of the difference in your ticket price and Tatkal charges will be offered, if applicable.

IRCTC refund rules on AC failure

If you’re travelling in an AC coach and the Indian Railways fails to provide you with an AC facility for a portion of your journey, you’re eligible to get a refund for that portion of your journey. The refund amount in such instances is as follows:

• If the ticket booked is for air-conditioned first class, then the difference between the air-conditioned first-class fare and the first-class fare will be offered.
• If the ticket booked is for air-conditioned II-tier or air-conditioned III-tier class, then, the difference between air-conditioned II-tier or air-conditioned III-tier class fare and sleeper class fare will be provided.
• In case the ticket is for air-conditioned chair class, then the difference between air-conditioned chair car fare and the second class fare will be granted.
• If the ticket booked by the passenger is for executive class, then the difference between the notified executive class fare for the concerned section and first-class fare for the concerned distance of that section will be granted.