Train delayed for more than 3 hours? You can get full refund, just do this

North India is currently experiencing severe smog conditions that are causing significant disruptions to train services. Numerous trains have been delayed or cancelled due to the dense fog enveloping several states. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted that these conditions are likely to persist.

Here’s a simplified guide on how to get a refund for your railway ticket in such situations. By railway rules, you are entitled to a full refund of your ticket price if your train is three hours or more late. You can cancel the ticket in this case.

How to claim the refund

Passengers seeking a refund due to a train delay of over three hours need to follow a simple process:

1. Report the Delay: The first step is to report the delay to the railway authorities. This can be done at the railway station itself.
2. Fill Out the Refund Form: Passengers will be required to fill out a refund form, providing details of their journey and the delay.
3. Submit the Form: Once the form is filled out, it needs to be submitted to the railway authorities at the station.
4. Receive the Refund: After the form is submitted and the delay is verified, the refund will be processed. The refund amount will be credited back to the passenger’s account.

Additionally, if Indian Railways cancels a train, it automatically gives passengers a full refund. If passengers purchase e-Tickets online, Indian Railways will credit the refund amount to the bank account they used for booking within 3 to 7 days. As for PRS (Passenger Reservation System) Counter Tickets, passengers have to collect the refund from the corresponding PRS counter themselves. Passengers should surrender the ticket within three days of the scheduled train departure to claim this refund.

Refund eligibility for specific trains

Per the rules, only if the train is delayed by more than three hours can one request a full refund. Additionally, passengers seeking to modify or cancel their travel plans will also incur cancellation charges. The type of ticket and the time of cancellation initiation determine the variation in cancellation charges.

Here is a breakdown of the key aspects:

1. Cancellation charges for confirmed tickets (More than 48 hours in advance):

• AC First/Executive Class: ₹ 240 flat cancellation charges per passenger
• AC 2-Tier/First Class: ₹ 200
• AC 3-Tier/AC Chair Car/AC-3 Economy: ₹ 180
• Second Class: ₹ 60

2. Cancellation less than 48 hours and up to 12 hours before departure:

• 25% of the total fare paid (subject to a minimum flat cancellation charge).

3. Cancellation less than 12 hours and up to 4 hours before departure:

• 50% of the total fare paid, subject to a minimum flat cancellation charge for each class.

4. Cancellation of RAC/Waitlisted Tickets (Up to Half an Hour Before Departure):

• Full refund after deducting the clerkage charge per person.

Passengers should also keep checking the Indian Railways' guidelines for any changes or modifications to these cancellation charges and refund rules.

File a TDR Online (Ticket deposit receipt)

If your train consistently experiences delays after the chart has been prepared, file a TDR to cancel your ticket. Log into IRCTC and follow the necessary steps to cancel your ticket, ensuring that the chart has not been finalized.

Additionally, if Indian Railways cancels a train, it will automatically give passengers a full refund. If passengers purchase e-Tickets online, Indian Railways will credit the refund amount to the bank account they used for booking within 3 to 7 days.

Passengers with PRS (Passenger Reservation System) Counter Tickets have to collect the refund from the respective PRS counter. To claim this refund, passengers have to surrender the ticket within three days of the train's scheduled departure.

IRCTC previously announced that passengers should not independently cancel tickets for trains that have been cancelled, as they will receive a full refund automatically. When a train is cancelled, the railways don't charge anything.

Note that these procedures apply only when bad weather or other unavoidable reasons delay or cancel your train. For other situations, like a change in personal plans, you may need to follow different policies and processes to change your mind and get a refund for your train ticket.

Refund amount is calculated as follows

1. For AC first class, the refund is the difference between the AC first class fare and the first class mail fare.
2. For AC 2 tier sleeper/AC 3 tier sleeper class, the refund is the difference between the AC 2 tier/AC 3 tier fare and the sleeper class mail/express fare.
3. For AC chair car class, the refund is the difference between the AC chair car class fare and the second class mail/express fare.
4. For Executive class tickets of Shatabdi trains, the refund is the difference between the notified executive class fare for the concerned section and the first class mail/express fare for the corresponding distance of that section.

Full refund if the train is late

If the train on which passengers are travelling is running late by 3 hours or more due to fog, one can cancel the ticket and get a full refund. While the facility was available for passengers who have booked offline tickets at the railway counter, now this facility is also for online customers buying tickets through websites like IRCTC. 

Apart from the ticket cancellation, the passengers are entitled to get a full refund even if they miss the train due to various reasons, and not just the fog. For this, you have to fill out the TDR form within an hour of the departure of the train.

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