How to get train ticket refund during lockdown? See ticket cancellation rules

India saw an extension of the lockdown from April 14 to May 3, 2020, to manage the number of Coronavirus cases. All passenger trains, flights and other modes of transportation have stopped functioning since the lockdown was imposed. Many people expected the lockdown to end by April 15, but it got extended and thus many people who booked their trains would now have to get them cancelled. Here are the details of how to claim the refunds after the cancellation of e-ticket and counter tickets. 

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How to get train ticket refund during lockdown | Ticket cancellation rules

• All the passengers availing E-ticket options do not have to cancel their tickets that they booked during the lockdown period. Their tickets will automatically be cancelled by the Indian Railways with a complete refund. 
• If someone wants to cancel their tickets after May 3, they can do so and still avail a full refund upon cancellation of their advance bookings. 
• While e-tickets will be automatically cancelled and refunded, passengers still need to cancel their counter tickets and claim the refunds by July 31, 2020. 

Online ticket cancellation refund rules

• Login to the IRCTC website and click on Cancel Ticket after going on the Trains section.  
• The cancelled ticket amount of the E-ticket will be refunded to your bank account within 3-4 days of the initiation of cancellation. 

Image courtesy: IRCTC website

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Counter ticket cancellation charges & rules

• Counter tickets can still be cancelled online through IRCTC website, however, refunds can be collected from the ticket counters only when the lockdown is over.
• After cancelling the counter ticket through IRCTC website, the passengers will receive an SMS with their PNR number that was cancelled. They will also receive the refund amount details on the mobile numbers. 
• Passengers can then collect their refund amount from their journey commencement station or from the nearby satellite PRS locations only after the lockdown is over. The counter ticket refund can be claimed until July 31. One can and should try to get the counter ticket refund only after the lockdown is over in India i.e. after May 3, 2020. 

Image courtesy: IRCTC website

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