Railways double ticket cancellation fee

The new rules are to be in effect across the country from November 12.

Meanwhile, the public transporter is also changing the 48 hours cancellation rules. Now, the interesting news is, cancellation of booked tickets will also fare more, forcing the passengers to shed more money from their pockets.

Under the new revised rules, the railways increased minimum cancellation charge per passenger on confirmed (reserved) tickets 48 hours before the scheduled departure of the train. As per the new rules, the amount for cancellation of the tickets would be doubled in all categories and it also states that no no ticket shall be cancelled after departure of train.

The objective is to plug misuse of tickets, facilitate passengers with mobile ticketing/proposed paperless ticketing, and to discourage touts, according to a Press Information Bureau release on Friday.

The minimum cancellation charge per passenger on confirmed (reserved) tickets has been doubled to Rs 240 for 1st AC/Executive class, Rs 200 for 2AC/1st class, Rs 180 for 3AC, ACC and 3A economy, Rs 120 for second sleeper class and Rs 60 for second class, if it is done 48 hours before the scheduled departure of the train. The charges will be Rs 30 for unreserved (second class), Rs 60 for reserved (second class) and other classes. Earlier from 6 hours before the scheduled departure of the train and upto 2 hours after the actual departure of the train, cancellation fee was 50 per cent of the ticket.

However, revised rules stipulate that between 12 hours and 4 hours before the scheduled departure of the train, cancellation fee will be 50 per cent of the ticket. There will be no refund after the departure of train and one has to get the refund four hours before the departure, according to the new refund rules.

Additionally, the Railways has chose to enable certain unreserved ticket counters as unreserved-cum-reserved to allow refund of reserved tickets.