Indian Railways has announced thousands of special trains to handle the surge in passenger demand during the festive season. Despite this effort, stations are experiencing long queues, and many travelers are still unable to secure confirmed tickets.

Passengers are voicing other concerns, particularly over unconfirmed tickets and last-minute cancellations of confirmed tickets. Complaints have been flooding IRCTC’s X (formerly Twitter) handle.

In a recent incident , a passenger who booked a waitlisted ticket from Delhi to Prayagraj found that it didn’t get confirmed even after chart preparation. Upon refund, he noticed a deduction of Rs. 100 instead of receiving the full amount. 

He took the matter to the X platform and wrote his concern to the Railway Ministry. He posted,” I booked a waitlisted ticket from Delhi to Prayagraj, but it didn’t get confirmed after the chart was prepared. Could you explain why 100 rupees were deducted from the refund instead of receiving the full amount.

Dear @RailMinIndia @AshwiniVaishnaw

I booked a waitlisted ticket from Delhi to Prayagraj, but it didn’t get confirmed after the chart was prepared. Could you explain why 100 rupees were deducted from the refund instead of receiving the full amount

— Adil ansari (@Adilans62788455) October 30, 2024

In the response IRCTC wrote ‘As per Indian Railway rules in case of waitlisted/RAC ticket clerkage charges Rs. 60/- along with GST per passenger shall be levied.”

As per Indian Railway rules in case of waitlisted/RAC ticket clerkage charges Rs. 60/- along with GST per passenger shall be levied Please follow the given link: https://t.co/0Mek9yKVW3
— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) October 29, 2024

The passenger had initially shared a version of the ticket on Twitter, which revealed that it was booked through a third-party app—resulting in additional deductions beyond the standard clerkage fee.

IRCTC Refund Policies and Deduction Details 

Many passengers are also puzzled by deductions from their refunds on unconfirmed tickets. Refunds for tickets booked through third-party apps, as opposed to directly on IRCTC’s platform, can include additional fees. However, under Indian Railways’ refund rules, clerkage charges and GST are applicable for RAC and waitlisted ticket cancellations. Here’s a closer look at the refund policies:

Refund Rules for Confirmed Tickets

Refunds on confirmed tickets depend on the timing of the cancellation: 

1. 48+ Hours Before Departure

Cancellation fees are charged based on class:

• AC First/Executive: ₹240 + GST
• First Class/AC 2 Tier: ₹200 + GST
• AC Chair Car/AC 3 Tier/AC 3 Economy: ₹180 + GST
• Sleeper: ₹120
• Second Class: ₹60

2. Between 48 to 12 Hours Before Departure: 25% of the fare, subject to a minimum of the above-listed cancellation fees, plus GST for AC classes.

3. Within 12 to 4 Hours Before Departure: 50% of the fare, with a minimum cancellation charge, plus GST for AC classes.

4.Cancellation within 4 Hours of Departure: No refund for confirmed tickets if canceled or TDR not filed online within four hours of departure.

5. For RAC e-Tickets: No refund if canceled or TDR not filed within 30 minutes before departure.

Refund Policy for RAC and Waitlisted Tickets

RAC and waitlisted tickets offer specific cancellation rules:

1. Before Departure: Tickets can be canceled up to 30 minutes before departure, with a deduction of ₹60 (clerkage charge) plus GST per passenger.

2. After Departure: No refund if canceled after 30 minutes before departure.

3. RAC Tickets with Confirmed Seat Allocation: If RAC or waitlisted tickets are confirmed upon chart preparation, cancellation rules apply as per the confirmed ticket refund policy.

Refund Rules for Partially Confirmed Tickets

For partially confirmed e-tickets or family/group bookings where some passengers have confirmed reservations and others remain on RAC or waitlisted status:

 Before Departure: A full refund, minus clerkage, is allowed if canceled online for all passengers up to 30 minutes before departure.