Good news for Indian Railways passengers! Soon you may get higher refund on IRCTC train tickets – here’s what’s being planned
Soon you may get higher refund from Indian Railways for your cancelled train ticket! The Indian Railways is considering either lowering or doing away with the administrative fees, known as ‘clerkage’, which it currently deducts whilst processing refunds for unconfirmed waitlisted tickets or cancellations.Indian Railways authorities are evaluating various alternatives due to the decreased operational costs associated with train ticketing, as more travellers now prefer online bookings over counter purchases in the recent years.For waitlisted or reservation against cancellation train tickets that are cancelled, railway passengers do not receive a refund of either the clerkage or convenience fee.
Indian Railways’ Train Ticket ‘Clerkage’ Charges
- For confirmed bookings in air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned coaches, the railways presently deducts Rs 60 as clerkage, whilst Rs 30 is charged for unreserved second-class tickets.
- This administrative charge applies to all waitlisted ticket cancellations, including those processed through the
IRCTC portal. - According to railway officials quoted in a TOI report, preliminary talks have begun regarding this matter.
- The potential policy change would benefit passengers holding waitlisted tickets, who currently face two challenges: their tickets remaining unconfirmed and the subsequent deduction of clerical charges during fare reimbursement.
- IRCTC, which manages ticketing and catering services for Indian Railways, charges a convenience fee of Rs 30 for AC and Rs 15 for non-AC tickets.
- An official clarified that the entire clerkage revenue is allocated to Indian Railways as it covers functional expenditure for the system, applicable regardless of ticket confirmation status.
- The railway ministry’s statement to Lok Sabha last year confirmed that revenue from all sources, including cancellations, contributes to Indian Railways’ total receipts, which fund working expenses for maintenance, operations and capital expenditure.
Tatkal Ticket Booking Changes
Meanwhile, Indian Railways has also changed its tatkal ticket booking policy. From July 1, 2025, Indian Railways have restricted tatkal ticket bookings through IRCTC platforms to users who have completed identity verification.Following instructions from the Railways Minister, officials are working to broaden the authentication requirements for Tatkal bookings.For identity verification, passengers must provide either their Aadhaar details or present valid government identification documents available in their DigiLocker accounts.Another OTP-based verification system for Tatkal reservations will be operational by late July.Also Read | Indian Railways launches new ‘super app’ RailOne: Book train tickets, track PNR, food, rail enquiry in one place – what it means for passengers
New Train Chart Preparation Move
Indian Railways is also modifying its reservation chart preparation timeline. The current system of generating charts four hours before departure creates uncertainty, especially for passengers boarding from nearby stations.A new initiative proposes to extend this timeline to eight hours before the train’s departure. This change aims to provide better clarity to travellers.For train services departing before 1400 hours, the charts shall be completed by 2100 hrs of the previous day.
