No refund if tickets cancelled less than 8 hours before scheduled journey: Railways revises seat booking rules
As much as 25% of the ticket price will be deducted if cancelled between 72 to 24 hours whereas 50% of the same will be if cancelled between 24 to 8 hours before the journey
Indian Railways on Tuesday revised its cancellation policy specifying that no refund will be granted to passengers if their train tickets are cancelled less than 8 hours before the scheduled journey.
Notifying the penalty window for cancellation, it said the maximum refund will be permitted if tickets are cancelled more than 72 hours before the journey.
As much as 25% of the ticket price will be deducted if cancelled between 72 to 24 hours whereas 50% of the same will be if cancelled between 24 to 8 hours.
Listing out the reforms in ticketing services, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in order to filter out agents and touts hoarding the tickets:
i) Aadhaar-based OTP has been introduced for Tatkal booking.
ii) The booking of Tatkal tickets is also restricted for agents for the first 30 minutes.
iii) Anti-bot solutions have also been included to eliminate non-genuine users.
iv) Apart from these measures, 3 crore suspicious IDs have been already been deactivated, said Vaishnaw
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Meanwhile, an upgrade in travel class is now allowed up to 30 minutes before departure for counter tickets. This deviation from the previous policy — in which passenger could updgrade onlu until chart is prepared — will provide more option for comfortable journey to the travellers, said the Railways.
Anish Mondal is a journalist with over nine years of experience covering the railways and roadways. Currently a member of the Indianexpress.com editorial team, Anish specializes in high-impact sectors.
Professional Journey
Anish began his career at the public broadcaster Rajya Sabha Television (now Sansad TV), where he developed a foundational understanding of legislative processes and national governance. In 2018, he transitioned to digital financial journalism at FinancialExpress.com, spending nearly six years refining his expertise in market trends and corporate reporting. Before joining The Indian Express in 2025, he served as a key contributor at ETNowNews.com.
Education & Expertise
Anish’s reporting is backed by a rigorous academic background in communication and the humanities:
Master of Journalism and Mass Communication (MJMC) – Apeejay Stya University
Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Production (PGTVRJP) – Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication
Bachelor of Arts (English Honours) – University of Calcutta
Areas of Coverage
Connectivity: Detailed reporting on the expansion of Indian Railways and National Highway networks. ... Read More