Millions of people travel by train in India every day. Whether for family outings, trips with friends, or spiritual pilgrimages, train travel is often considered the best option.
Even those who prefer to avoid long bus rides find train journeys appealing. However, the demand can lead to severe congestion, prompting many to book tickets in advance, a process known as reservation.
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) facilitates ticket booking through a dedicated website and app.
Travelers who reserve their tickets in advance can enjoy a comfortable journey; those who don’t may find themselves standing for hours.
Sometimes, travel plans can change. Various reasons may lead to the need to cancel a booked ticket.
The IRCTC offers refunds on canceled tickets, but it’s important to note that the refund is often less than the initial reservation cost. Let’s now examine which charges the Railways will not refund.
The Executive Director of Information and Publicity at the Railway Board clarified these charges. He stated that reservation charges, superfast charges, and GST are not refundable in addition to the train fare.
He emphasized that only the train fare will be refunded when a ticket is canceled, while the reservation charges and GST are non-refundable.
The Indian Railway system has two types of trains: superfast and passenger/local. Superfast trains serve longer distances, while passenger trains stop at every station on shorter routes, and they do not incur superfast charges for reservations.
Reservation charges vary depending on the class of travel, and these charges are non-refundable.
The reservation fee for second-class tickets is ₹15. In the sleeper coach, it’s ₹20, while for AC chair car, AC economy, and third AC, the charge is ₹40. For AC second class, the fee is ₹50, and for AC first class, it is ₹60. These charges, including GST, are not refundable.