Last-Minute Train Ticket Cancellations Get Costlier; Here’s What Railways’ Revised Rules Mean For You

New Delhi: Indian Railways has tightened its ticket cancellation and refund rules, introducing a revised structure that could significantly affect passengers cancelling their confirmed tickets close to the time of departure.

Under the revised rules, the refund amount will depend on how early a passenger cancels their confirmed ticket. Those cancelling well in advance will get a higher refund, while late cancellations will see steep cuts or no refund at all.

The revised rules will be implemented in phases between April 1 and April 15, 2026.

If a ticket is cancelled more than 72 hours before a train’s scheduled departure, passengers will lose only a minimum cancellation fee, retaining most of their fare. However, if the ticket is cancelled between 72 and 24 hours, around 25% of the total fare will be deducted. This rises to 50% for cancellations made within 24 to 8 hours of departure.

For passengers who attempt to cancel less than 8 hours before departure, the rules are strictest with no refund under any circumstances.

Along with this, Indian Railways has allowed passengers to change their boarding point up to 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train. The change is expected to help passengers in cities with multiple stations, where they can choose to board from any convenient station. At present, the change of boarding point is allowed only before the preparation of the chart.

These changes align with the Railways’ broader effort to curb last-minute cancellations and improve seat utilisation, particularly after similar measures were introduced for premium services like Vande Bharat Sleeper and Amrit Bharat-2 trains, where late cancellations now attract full fare forfeiture.

This move underscores Railways’ focus on balancing passenger convenience with operational efficiency, encouraging travellers to plan better and avoid last-minute cancellations that leave berths unused.

Earlier cancellation rules

Under the previous policy of the Indian Railways, cancellation charges for confirmed tickets were determined by shorter time windows and fixed, class-based fees.

Passengers cancelling tickets more than 48 hours before departure were charged a flat fee per person of Rs 240 plus GST for Executive Class and Rs 180 plus GST for AC Chair Car.

For cancellations made between 48 hours and up to 12 hours before departure, 25% of the ticket fare was deducted, subject to the applicable minimum flat charge. If tickets were cancelled within 12 hours and up to 4 hours before departure, the deduction increased to 50% of the fare, again subject to the minimum charge.

No refund was granted if a confirmed ticket was neither cancelled nor a TDR (Ticket Deposit Receipt) filed at least 4 hours before the train’s scheduled departure.

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