Indian Railways has introduced major changes to its ticket cancellation policy, revising the fee structure based on how close the cancellation is to the train’s departure.
Under the new rules, cancelling a ticket between 72 and 24 hours before departure will lead to a deduction of 25% of the fare. If a ticket is cancelled between 24 hours and 8 hours before departure, 50% of the fare will be deducted along with the minimum applicable charge. Cancellations made less than 8 hours before departure will not be eligible for any refund.
The revised rules will be implemented in phases between April 1 and April 15, 2026.
Penalty for late cancellations
Cancellation charges increase as the departure time approaches:
| Time Before Departure | Cancellation Rule | Details |
|---|---|---|
| More than 72 hours | Maximum refund | Flat cancellation charge per passenger is deducted |
| 72 to 24 hours | Standard penalty window | 25% of fare deducted (subject to minimum applicable charge) |
| 24 to 8 hours | Late cancellation | 50% of fare deducted (subject to minimum applicable charge) |
| Less than 8 hours | No refund | No refund will be given |
Apart from these changes, Indian Railways has also introduced several measures in the past year to curb misuse of the booking system.
From October 1, 2025, passengers booking reserved tickets under the general quota on the IRCTC website or app must complete Aadhaar authentication within the first 15 minutes of the booking window. This step aims to ensure genuine passengers get a fair chance at booking tickets instead of agents or bots.
Earlier, from July 1, 2025, Aadhaar verification was made mandatory for Tatkal bookings as well. These tickets can now be booked only after authentication and exclusively through the official IRCTC website or mobile app.
Additionally, railway agents are now barred from booking Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of the booking window. This means no agent bookings between 10:00 am and 10:30 am for AC classes, and between 11:00 am and 11:30 am for non-AC classes.