When traveling by train in India, particularly if you are booking online using IRCTC then it’s good to understand the IRCTC refund policy. Whether you have to cancel a ticket, your train is delayed or even cancelled, or you suffer service disruptions, refund rules and regulations can prove daunting. This policy-needs guide explains all facets of IRCTC refund policy definitions, timelines, types of ticketing, step-by-step processes for refunds, exceptions to the rule and practical tips along with FAQs on how get it done. After reading this article, you will know every tiny detail about IRCTC Refund Policy what is the coverage, how can you claim it and what are their ivy traps.

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What is IRCTC Refund Policy?

The IRCTC refund rule: This refers to the policy or set of rules laid by IRCTC (and underlined Indian Railways) for returning money or compensating in lieu of cancellation fare, delayed trains, obstructed services or any other extenuating circumstances. The rules determine who qualifies, how much money you could get back or when you can take a deduction (if any), and where that refund will be “deposited.” The IRCTC refund rules involve policies for e‐tickets or online bookings, counter tickets, RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation), wait-listed tickets, Tatkal bookings and train cancellations among others like route diversion, AC failure and so on. To put it briefly: when you book a ticket through IRCTC, whatever rules they have on refunds are what will dictate how much (if anything) you will get back if things go wrong.

Why The IRCTC Refund Policy is Important For You

No surprises: Several travellers tend to think that full refund is guaranteed the IRCTC refund policy does not work this way.
Timing counts: The IRCTC refund policy states that the closer you get to departure, the more you pay in cancellation charges. Canceling early frequently results in more money back.
Type of ticket: Confirmed / wait‐list/ Tatkal/RAC each has separate rules under the IRCTC refund policy.
Special circumstances: Late trains, diverted routes, AC outages or denial of accommodation influence refunds in accordance with IRCTC refund policy.
Know your rights: Familiarising yourself with the IRCTC refund policy will enable you to claim refunds, in case of service failure for example.

Quick Snapshot of the IRCTC Refund Policy

Here is a summary table of key parts of the IRCTC refund policy:

Ticket Type / Scenario	Time Before Departure	Cancellation / Refund Deduction
Confirmed ticket >48 hrs before departure	More than 48 hrs	Flat cancellation charge (varies by class)
Confirmed ticket 48-12 hrs before	12-48 hrs	25% of fare subject to min charge
Confirmed ticket 12-4 hrs before	4-12 hrs	50% of fare subject to min charge
Confirmed ticket within 4 hrs / After chart preparation	Less than 4 hrs	No refund (unless TDR filed)
Wait-list ticket cancelled online >4 hrs before	Up to 4 hrs	Charge ₹20+GST per passenger for wait-list cancellation online
Ticket where train cancelled / diverted / >3 hrs late	—	Full refund under IRCTC refund policy for such contingencies
Tatkal confirmed ticket	—	No refund on confirmed Tatkal ticket except in special cases

This table gives you a quick glimpse, but we will dive into each scenario in detail.

Detailed Breakdown of IRCTC Refund Policy: Ticket Types

Confirmed Tickets (Reserved, Non-Tatkal)

For example, if you have booked a confirmed e-ticket through the IRCTC, and now want to cancel it; there are different slabs that apply under the IRCTC refund policy according to how early you cancel.

More than 48 hours before your flight Only Assistant-dependent patients can use this service If you’re not already a British Airways Executive Club member, we’ll automatically enrol you from the information in your booking.

You will have to pay a flat minimum cancellation charge per passenger if you cancel > 48 hours in advance, which varies according to class:

AC First/Executive Class: ₹240 + GST (applied per passenger)
AC 2-Tier / First Class: ₹200 + GST
AC 3-Tier / AC Chair Car / AC 3 Economy: ₹180 + GST
Sleeper Class: ₹120 + GST
Second Class: ₹60 + GST

So, for example, if you booked a Sleeper class confirmed ticket and cancelled it 3 days in advance, the IRCTC refund policy says you’ll get your fare minus ₹120+GST.

48 ~ 12 hours before the flight

If you cancel in this time period, then a 25% charge will be subtracted from the fare paid, unless that yields an amount less than the flat rate shown above.

Illustration for example – You were to pay ₹4000 in AC 3-Tier.Case(1) if u cancel the ticket within 24 and up to or less than 4 hrs→ cancellation charge comes as 25% = ₹1000 (subjected at least min ₹180+GST). Which means you will lose ₹1000 ( as 1000 > 180 ) and get around ₹3000 refund.

12 (but not less than 4) hours before the announced departure

Here the refund is 50% of ticket fare after deduction, subject to flat minimum cancellation charges.

Example: If Fare via Sleeper class is ₹1500 and you cancel 5 Hours before departure. Deduction = 50% of ₹1500 = (750 > flat ₹120). Refund ~₹750.

Up to 4 hours from scheduled departure / Post chart preparation

As per IRCTC refund rules, no refund shall be granted on the confirmed ticket after 4 hours to scheduled departure, in case it is not cancelled online (or TDR not filed).

In other words, you either get penalized for not cancelling (which could be early enough that or after the 4 hour period/and chart has been eaten), and then lose the entire fare.

RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation)/Wait-Listed Tickets

These tickets are handled differently under IRCTC’s refund policy.

Wait-listed tickets

For the ticket that remains waitlisted (which is canceled and after charting too, it gets auto dropped), refund rules are: 7.1 If you have a WL ticket and it does not get confirmed when your travel date comes, then the train in which you booked WL ticket has been cancelled for one of many reasons Indian Railways will give full refund to your account.

If you opt to cancel the wait-listed ticket yourself online (up to 4 hours before the journey) then IRCTC will charge ₹20+GST per passenger as cancellation charges.

The ticket is auto cancelled by the system post charting in case status of Wait List / RAC tickets does not automatically get confirmed. Such waitlist or RAC tickets shall be cancelled and the full fare for this portion shall be A) credited to account PRS counters; B) Refund at PRS counter (in case sleeper class) C) Passenger may take refund from PRS counter within stipulated time on submission of original certificate of contingency & CN form, with up to permissible limits.

This means you don’t have to do anything if your wait-list ticket remains unconfirmed even after chart preparation the system will refund automatically.

RAC tickets

In case of RAC train tickets, it is applicable on the 30 minutes before scheduled journey commencement if the same is made.

If no cancellation or TDR filed on ARP service during the above permitted time limit for cancellation, no refund will be granted.

Family or party tickets partially confirmed

If on an e-party ticket there are wait-listed/RAC passengers and some are confirmed, the IRCTC refund policy permits even the conditionally confirmed passengers to demand refunds should they choose not to go (depending on certain conditions). You have to cancel online or file TDR 30 minutes before the train departure.

That situation tends to entertain users, but here is the good thing: The IRCTC refund policy was there for them.

Tatkal and Premium Tatkal Tickets

Under irctc refund policy, these high‐demand tickets will have certain rules.
Provision of Refund on Confirmed Tatkal Ticket: Normally, no refund is granted for confirmed tatkal ticket on cancellation.
Tatkal wait-listed or RAC ticket: Wait-List/RAC fares refunded as per rules applicable for wait list/RAC tickets.
Premium Tatkal tickets: No refund on cancellation of confirmed/ RAC Premium Tatkal tickets.

So, if you book a confirmed Tatkal ticket, want to cancel it and find out what fee is to be paid. Below are the details ( in case the train is not cancelled or diverted etc ). But be sure to read the fine print of the IRCTC refund policy in these cases.

Special Circumstances under the IRCTC Refund Policy

In addition to the basic cancellations, IRCTC refund rules outline full or partial refunds under various special circumstances.

Train is Canceled or Diverted OR not running on the-section.

“IF TRAIN IS CANCELLED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS OR diverted FROM YOUR SOURCE TO DESTINATION(S)”, and Your boarding station and destination does not fall on the new route TC/ACTIVATION CHARGES are applicable Full refund will be granted up to filing of TDR as per Railway refund rule AND IF YOU DO NOT TRAVEL. For e-tickets: You may not need to do anything your booking will be canceled if you don’t rebook.

In some other cases, you need to cancel the ticket or file TDR within a time limit so that you can get full refund.

Very Long Delay (3–12 Hours)

If your train is delayed by 3 hours or more, you can claim a full refund as per the IRCTC ticket refund rule. For e-tickets you need to file a Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) before the actual departure of the train, otherwise you forfeit your claim.

AC Tabah / Economy ClassFailures.

If you have reserved your seat in an AC class, but are to travel on a lower class: In case the railway cannot provide you with accommodation or the AC goes out of order then for the difference which is left between AC and non-AC fare classes or full fare as per application. Requirements:

Get a certificate from TTE (Travelling Ticket Examiner) for non-functioning or downgrade.
File TDR in time-limit (failure of AC: within 20 hours of arrival, etc) as per IRCTC refund rules.

Unreserved Tickets

The IRCTC refund rules states that for unreserved [non-reservation] tickets refund (less clerkage) would be permissible if served within prescribed timings(limits) of the trains reach to the station up to which reservation offices are open. The clerkage charge is usually ₹30 per passenger.

Partially-Used Tickets

Once you start the journey and curtail it, except for Rajdhani/Shatabdi most of the trains, the amount refunded is only paisa on every hundred unless you get a certificate by handing over your ticket at destination station to catch up both in five years or please apply within 90 days.

How to Cancel a Ticket & Claim Refund (IRCTC Refund Policy Process)

Here’s a detailed guide on how to cancel a ticket and get refund under the IRCTC refund policy.

For e-Tickets (online on IRCTC website/app)
Log in to your IRCTC account.
Or look for My Transactions → Booked Ticket History (or similar).
Select the PNR of the ticket to be cancelled.
Click on Cancel Ticket.

This number will be furnished after allowing for the cancellation charge as per IRCTC Cancellation and Refund Rules.

If you are approved, then your refund will be processed and amount of the purchase is refunded to your original method of payment. (Refunds return to the original card/bank account.)

Tracking:

To check refund status, you may navigate to My Transactions > Refund History.
For downloading of I-tickets (counter tickets) booked at counters online/Internet combined ticket counters.
PRS should be approached of the main originating station or at an intermediate PRS location which is part of the journey so as to reach it at least 24 hrs before the scheduled departure of train on weekdays and for leave-in-chains tickets ATB counter will open till three hours before regular scheduled departure time.

Surrender the physical ticket.

The refund under IRCTC will be processed on the basis of refund rule and through cheque or credit (in case of bank) as per railway rules.

For IMR cases you may have to `forward the certificate’ referred to be made by the CCM of concerned railway zone in case of minor failure claims (AC Failure, etc.)

How to file a TDR (ticket Deposit Receipt)

In case your case falls under the special cases category (cancelled train, waitlisted tickets >3 hrs delay, AC failure, diverted route of passengers not been contacted), and you did not cancel through the normal window, then a TDR has to be filed per IRCTC refund policy:

Here’s how it is done: Log in to IRCTC >> My Account >>My Transactions>>File TDR.
Select PNR, select reason (Delay, AC failure, diverted train etc).
Enter your information and the amount of passengers for the claim.
Submit.
Once verified by railway/IRCTC refund will be processed through bank.

Timelines & Refund Credit

For e-tickets, refund is credited back to the same card or bank account that was used for booking.
In case of a counter ticket, if it is a manual one then the processing may take upto 60-90 days.
In automatic cancellation cases (auto WL drop), refund is done even without passenger action.
Always retain the acknowledgement of cancellation or TDR filing for reference.

Key Terms & Definitions in IRCTC Refund Policy

TDR (Ticket Deposit Receipt): A form where passenger can request refund in certain circumstances (cancellation of trains, late running more than three hours, etc) against Railway ticket to claim the IRCTC refund policy.
Chart Preparation Time: The time of chart preparation of the train at originating station prior to departure. Beyond this, cancellation rules will be revised under the IRCTC refund policy.
Booking Class: The booking class of travel (AC First, AC 2-Tier, Sleeper, etc.), determines the cancellation charges as per the IRCTC refund rule.
Tatkal / Premium Tatkal:This is emergency booking is available with special cancellation/refund rules under the IRCTC refund Policy.
RAC / Wait-list: Reservation Status which is taken for refund calculation as per IRCTC Refund Rule.

Common Errors that People commit under the IRCTC Refund Rules

Cancelling too late: You could get zero refund (under the IRCTC refund policy) if you don’t cancel until 4 hours before departure (or after charting).
Not filing TDR when required You would loose refund right in case of service failure cases if not filed TDR.
If wait-listed ticket is cancelled after the departure of train, full refund would be due, subject to other conditions less clerkage (‘per passenger’) in respect of PRS counter tickets and IRCTC service charge plus cancellation charges as per clause 2(C) below.
Booking Tatkal and getting refund Confirmed Tatkal tickets are generally not eligible for a refund, according the IRCTC policy on refund.
Refunding amount to a wrong bank/card account: The refund will be processed to the source from which the payment has been made.
You did not get certificate from TTE: In case of AC failure / coach detached and AC is not working ( in that case Popularly Known as Chhapri), certificate issued by TTE must be obtained for refunds.
Waiting for refund forever: Most refunds on counter tickets can take up to 60–90 days, despite the quick process of an online refund. Stay updated on status.

IRCTC Refund Policy: Latest Updates & Examples

Below are few references regarding the IRCTC refund policy in practice-June and July 2025:

IRCTC told to pay ₹10,000 compensation for not granting full refund on wait-listed tickets automatically cancelled A consumer court directed IRCTC to pay a compensation of ₹10,000 for not giving 50% refund amount under free cancellation scheme and another 25% deduction from ticket charges even after automatic cancellation of tickets due to unavailability of seats in the train.
On the other hand, media reports point out that if a train is delayed for more than 3 hours or AC fails in it then you can file TDR for refund under IRCTC refund policy.
These illustrate that, even if the IRCTC refund policy is well laid out, enforcement and awareness do matter.

How to Make Most of Your Refund as per IRCTC Refund Policy

Book with plenty of lead time the sooner you cancel, the smaller the deduction.
Consider other options (such as altering travel dates) if cancellation fees are unmanageable.
And in case of an RAC/wait-list ticket, keep a track on charting, in the event that if your ticket isn’t confirmed you can expect to receive full refunds automatically.
Maintain email/SMS alerts and screenshots of booking and cancellation for documentation.
For service-failure claims (delay, AC failure), always act fast – you have to file TDR within time limit.
Check refund status regularly with reference to above through IRCTC website/app in 14 days after filing of TDR.
Refund goes to same payment instrument: Make sure that account is active.

In case you are unable to trace your ticket, on availability of the confirmation message through any of the options above, in all probability your ticket is confirmed and its status would be updated on the web site. If you don’t see a refund after due time (refer above instructions), please check back with your bank and claim for refund or contact your bank with Transaction number/Host reference number(captured in booking process) along with PNR/Auth code. If refund is not provided then raise the issue to IRCTC relating to payment failure/cancellation failure stating clearly about failed transaction and provide them with the Booking details including cancellation/refund id received from Bank/Credit /Debit card statement.

In Counter: For counter tickets, while surrendering the ticket across the counter, get receipt. If you are booking a ticket through special quotas such as Tatkal, then read the conditions carefully: Consider no refund unless exceptional circumstances.

FAQs on IRCTC Refund Policy

Q1. If I cancel a confirmed ticket more than 48 hours ahead, what is the cancellation charge?

A1. A refund shall be granted less the flat cancellation charge per passenger under IRCTC Cancellation rule (i.e. AC First Class_Rs.240/-, Executive Class_Rs. 120/-) for each such passenger in case of confirmed reservation tickets and Time of cancelation also to be earmarked : Up to 48 hrs.before the scheduled departure of train specified for the destination Zonal Railways CNF1A/Confirmed, RLWL, RAC NO SHOW LRJ21/LRJ20 Up to 6 hours before time up chart preparation VIP/VIP2 Upto3Hrs on reservation availability This shall also apply as follows: (a) In case if a confirmed ticket is cancelled:- The amount refunded shall be the fare paid by distance(till normalcy return).

Q2. Is it possible to cancel a Tatkal ticket and get refund any refund?

A2. No refund is PR acceptable for confirmed Tatkal tickets under the IRCTC Refund rules in general. For wait-listed Tatkal tickets, cancellation rules for wait-lists shall apply.

Q3. The railway canceled my train. Do I need to cancel my ticket for a refund?

A3. E-tickets: Full refund in case of cancellation If the train is officially cancelled, a full refund is automatic according to the IRCTC refund policy. Canceling manually, as frequently things fall away on their own.

Q4. And if the train is delayed by 3 hours or if AC fails during the ride?

A4. Yes, you can request either full refund/partial refund as per the IRCTC refund policy. 16-10-2020 Report TDR online within stipulated period.

Q5. How long does it take process to hit my bank account?

A5. E-tickets are refunded electronically and many go back on your credit card within days. In case of the counter tickets or service failure, it might be up to 60-90 days as per the IRCTC refund rules.

Q6. What If I Booked Online and Paid by Card, but Later Cancel?

A6. Refund would be credited back to the same card/account under the IRCTC Cancellation policy.

Q7. My ticketing status shows some of the passengers in my tickets are confirmed and others WL/RAC, can I get refund for the confirmed ones?

A7. Yes, as per the IRCTC refund rules confirmed passengers within a party/family can seek refunds (subject to conditions) if others fail to show up for the journey, provided proper cancellation or TDR is made in time.

Conclusion

IRCTC refund rules are an important for train journey management in India. It can save you a lot of money, as well as make sure you earn your rightful refunds in worst-case scenarios, and headaches. It’s based on when you buy, what kind of ticket, class of travel and your reason for cancellation.

Remember:

Cancel early for higher refund.
Use online cancellation for e-tickets.
Watch deadlines ((4 hours prior to departure, chart prep etc.
File TDR when required.
Track booking, cancellation and refund.
Add exceptions (delays, cancellations, AC failure), the way it should be.

So be informed and proactive and face the IRCTC refund policy with confidence, you do not have to lose out just like that. Safe travels!