Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Ticket and Refund of Fare) Rules, 1998

[Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Ticket and Refund of Fare) Rules, 1998][1]

[24th July, 1998]

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1), read with clause (b) of sub-section (2), of Section 60 of the Railways Act, 1989 (24 of 1989), and in supersession of Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Tickets and Refund of Fares) Rules, 1990 except as respects things done or omitted to be done before such supersession, the Central Government hereby makes the following rules, namely.

Rule - 1. Short title and commencement.

(1)     These rules may be called the Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Ticket and Refund of Fare) Rules, 1998.

(2)     They shall come into force on the first day of October, 1998.

Rule - 2. Definitions.

In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires.

(a)      “clerkage” means a charge levied by a railway administration for the clerical work rendered by it in the refund of fares;

(b)      “destination station” means the station for which the ticket has been issued;

(c)      “RAC ticket” means a ticket on which a seat has been reserved against requisition for a berth and a berth may be subsequently provided against cancellation, if any;

(d)      “fare” includes basic fare, supplementary charge on superfast trains and reservation fee;

(e)      “reserved ticket” means a journey ticket on which a berth or seat has been reserved;

(f)       “reservation fee” means the charge, in addition to the fare, levied by the Railway administration for the reservation of a berth or seat;

(g)      “station” means a railway station and includes other reservation offices or booking offices in the same city;

(h)     “stationmaster” means a railway employee, by whatever name called having overall charge of a railway station and includes any other railway employee authorised to grant refund of fare at a Station;

(i)       “ticket” means a single journey ticket or any of a return ticket but does not include a season ticket, an Indrail Pass ticket or a special ticket for a reserved carriage or a tourist car or saloon, or a special train.

Rule - 3. Stationmaster to refund fares.

(1)     Subject to the other provisions of these rules, every refund of fare on unused unreserved ticket shall, when such ticket is presented for refund of fare to the stationmaster of ticket issuing station be granted by such stationmaster after verifying the genuineness of the ticket from the record of the station.

(2)     Subject to the other provisions of these rules, every refund of fare on reserved tickets, RAC tickets and wait-listed tickets shall, when such tickets are presented for refund of fare to the stationmaster of ticket issuing station, be granted within the time limits prescribed in these rules, by such stationmaster after verifying the genuineness of the tickets through computer or from the record of the station:

Provided that.-

(a)      in case tickets which were issued for travel from a station other than the ticket issuing station, refund of fare shall be admissible at.

(i)       the ticket issuing station, if the ticket is surrendered before the scheduled departure of the train from the station from where the ticket is valid for travel; and

(ii)      the journey commencing station, if the ticket is surrendered within the time limits prescribed in these rules, and

(b)      refund of fare may also be granted by the stationmaster of a station other than the ticket issuing station and journey commencing station subject to the conditions that.

(i)       the ticket is surrendered for refund of fare during working hours of the reservation office and before the preparation of reservation chart, of the concerned train, for the station from where the ticket is valid; and

(ii)      the genuineness of the ticket and its particulars are verifiable at the refund granting station through computer or from record of the station.

Rule - 4. Levy of clerkage.

Subject to the other provisions of these rules, [2][station master shall levy a clerkage of Rupees Twenty per passenger for cancellation of unreserved or waitlisted and RAC tickets, except for second class unreserved tickets where the clerkage of Rupees Ten only shall be levied.]

Rule - 5. Unused tickets on which no reservation has been made.

If a ticket on which no reservation of a seat or berth has been made is presented to the stationmaster for cancellation within three hours after the actual departure of the train for which the ticket is issued or for any ticket valid for the whole day, within three hours after the actual departure of the last train of the day for the destination station, refund of fare shall be made on every such ticket after deducting the clerkage.

Rule - 6. Unused tickets on which reservation has been made.

(1)     Subject to the provisions of these rules, if a ticket on which reservation of a seat or berth has been made is presented by the passenger or his agent to a stationmaster for cancellation, refund of fare shall be made after deducting cancellation charge from the fare as follows.

(a)      If the ticket is presented for cancellation more than [3][twenty-four hours before the scheduled departure of the train], the per passenger cancellation charge shall be deducted at a flat rate of [4][Rupees seventy] for air-conditioned first class/executive class, [5][Rupees sixty] for air-conditioned sleeper class/air-conditioned 3-tier sleeper class/first class/air-conditioned chair car, [6][Rupees forty] for sleeper class and [7][Rupees twenty] for second class;

(b)      If the ticket is presented for cancellation [8][between twenty-four hours and] four hours before the scheduled departure of the train, cancellation charge shall be twenty-five per cent of the fare subject to the minimum flat rate mentioned in clause (a);

(c)      If the ticket is presented for cancellation within four hours before scheduled departure of the train and up to.

(i)       three hours, when the ticket is for a destination station up to two hundred kilometres,

(ii)      six hours, when the ticket is for a destination station of more than two hundred kilometres but up to five hundred kilometres, and

(iii)     twelve hours, when the ticket is for a destination station of more than five hundred kilometres, after the actual departure of the train, cancellation charge shall be fifty per cent of the fare subject to the minimum flat rate mentioned in clause (a):

Provided that for night trains leaving between 21.00 hours and 06.00 hours (actual departure), refund shall be admissible at the station within the time limits specified above or within first [9][four] hours after the opening of reservation office, whichever is later.

(2)     No refund shall be granted at the station if the ticket is surrendered for cancellation after the expiry of the period mentioned under clause (c) of sub-rule (1).

Note. In case, on a party ticket or a family ticket issued for travel of more than one person, some persons have confirmed reservation and others are on waiting list, full refund of fare, less clerkage, shall be admissible for confirmed passengers also provided that the entire ticket is surrendered for cancellation at the journey commencing station within four hours before the scheduled departure of the train and up to three hours after actual departure of the train.

Rule - 7. Unused wait-listed or RAC tickets.

(1)     Subject to the provisions of sub-rule (2), no cancellation charge shall be payable if a wait-listed or RAC ticket is presented for cancellation.

(i)       up to three hours, when the ticket is for a destination station up to two hundred kilometres,

(ii)      up to six hours, when the ticket is for a destination station of more than two hundred kilometres but up to five hundred kilometres, and

(iii)     up to twelve hours, when the ticket is for a destination station of more than five hundred kilometres, after the actual departure of the train except for the deduction of the clerkage:

Provided that for night trains leaving between 21.00 hours and 06.00 hours (actual departure), refund shall be admissible at the station within the time limits specified above or within first [10][four] hours after the opening of reservation office, whichever is later.

(2)     Where confirmed reservation has been provided to RAC or wait-listed ticket holder at any time up to the final preparation of reservation chart, such ticket shall be treated as a reserved ticket and cancellation charge shall be payable in accordance with Rule 6.

Rule - [8. Cancellation charges on multiple journey tickets.

When an unused ticket involving more than one journey is surrendered for cancellation, the entire ticket shall be treated as one single journey ticket and refund of fare of the entire ticket, irrespective of reservation status of different laps of journeys, shall be granted as per reservation status of first lap of journey, as under.

(i)       if reservation status of first lap of journey is confirmed, refund shall be granted in accordance with Rule 6; and

(ii)      if reservation status of first lap of journey is RAC or waiting list, refund shall be granted in accordance with Rule 7.

Explanation. The cancellation charges or clerkage shall be levied only once on the entire amount of ticket and not separately for each lap of journey.][11]

Rule - [9. Postponement or Preponement of journey on a reserved, RAC or waitlisted ticket.

(1)     Postponement of journey.

(a)      Confirmed Tickets. Postponement of journey on confirmed tickets shall be allowed in the same or any higher class, by any subsequent train on the same day or any subsequent day, for same or any longer destination, provided that:

(i)       confirmed or RAC or waiting list accommodation is available in the train in which fresh reservation is required;

(ii)      fresh reservation fee for the class for which reservation is required is paid, in case of tickets surrendered during working hours and at least twenty-four hours before the scheduled departure of the train in which originally booked;

(iii)     25% fare of already booked ticket is paid as cancellation charges, in case of tickets surrendered during working hours and within twenty-four hours and four hours before scheduled departure of the train in which originally booked;

(iv)    50% fare of already booked ticket is paid as cancellation charges, in case of the tickets surrendered during working hours and within four hours before the scheduled departure and up to the maximum time limits mentioned in Rule 6(i)(c) (i.e. three or six or twelve hours, depending on distance) after actual departure of the train in which originally booked;

(b)      RAC and Waitlisted Tickets. Postponement of journey on RAC and Waitlisted Tickets shall be allowed in the same or higher class, by any subsequent train on the same or any subsequent day, for same or any longer destination, provided that.

(i)       confirmed or RAC or waiting list accommodation is available in the train in which fresh reservation is required;

(ii)      ticket is surrendered during working hours and up to the maximum time limits mentioned in Rule 6(i)(c) (i.e. three or six or twelve hours, depending on distance) after actual departure of the train in which originally booked;

(iii)     clerkage charge is paid;

(2)     Preponement of journey. Preponement of journey on confirmed, RAC and waitlisted tickets shall be allowed in the same or any higher class, by any earlier train on the same day or any earlier day, for same or any longer destination, provided that.

(a)      confirmed or RAC or waiting list accommodation is available in the train in which fresh reservation is required;

(b)      the ticket is surrendered during the working hours of the reservation office and at least six hours before the scheduled departure of the train in which reservation is required or before preparation of the reservation chart, whichever is later;

(c)      fresh reservation fee for the class for which reservation is required is paid, in case of preponement on confirmed tickets; and

(d)      clerkage charge is paid, in case of preponement on RAC and waitlisted tickets;

(3)     If there is difference in fares for originally booked journey and revised journey, the difference of fare shall be refunded or recovered, as the case may be, subject to the provisions of sub-rules (1) and (2) of Rule 9 above.

(4)     Postponement or Preponement of journey under sub-rule (1) or sub-rule (2) shall be allowed only once.

(5)     The Postponement or Preponement of normal train ticket journeys will not be applicable against Tatkal Quota even on payment of Tatkal charges.

(6)     If the ticket, on which journey has been altered under sub-rule (1) or (2) is cancelled, cancellation charges shall be payable as follows.

(a)      cancellation charges as would have been due if the ticket for original reservation had been cancelled at the time of postponement or preponement of journey, and

(b)      cancellation charges due in respect of ticket for altered reservation as if this altered reservation is a fresh reservation.

(c)      In cases where 25% or 50% cancellation charges were realized at the time of modification of journey, the cancellation charges mentioned in clause (a) shall not be levied again and the cancellation charges mentioned in clause (b) only shall be levied.][12]

Rule - 10. Change of journey from lower class to higher class.

(1)     Charge of reservation shall be allowed on a reserved ticket of lower class for higher class on the same train and day or when reserved for a seat in a class for reservation of a berth in the same class on the same train and day, without levying any cancellation charges but on payment of fresh reservation fee for higher class/berth, provided that.

(i)       accommodation is available, and

(ii)      the request for change is made.

(a)      either during the working hours of reservation office and up to six hours before the scheduled departure of the train, or

(b)      during the course of journey in the train.

(2)     The change referred to under sub-rule (1) shall be allowed only once.

(3)     If the ticket on which change of reservation has been allowed under sub-rule (1) is cancelled, cancellation charge shall be payable as follows, namely.

(a)      cancellation charge as would have been due if the original reservation had been cancelled at the time when the change of reservation was allowed; and

(b)      cancellation charge due in respect of the altered reservation as if the altered reservation is a fresh reservation.

Rule - 11. Non-commencement or missing of journey due to late running of trains.

[13][(1) No cancellation charge or clerkage shall be levied and full fare shall be refunded to all passengers holding reserved, RAC and waitlisted tickets, if the journey is not undertaken due to late running of the train by more than three hours of the scheduled departure of the train from the journey commencing station provided that the ticket is surrendered up to the maximum time limits prescribed in clause (c) of sub-rule (1) of Rule 6.]

(2)  Where a passenger holding a ticket, with or without reservation, misses connection for continued journey by another train at any junction station owing to late running of the train by which he had been travelling, the fare for travelled portion shall be retained and the balance amount of ticket shall be refunded as the fare for untravelled portion, without levying any cancellation charge or clerkage, if he surrenders the ticket for such refund within three hours of the actual arrival of the train by which he had travelled. The refund shall be granted at the junction station.

Rule - 12. Cancellation of tickets where railway administration is unable to provide accommodation.

Where a railway administration is unable to provide accommodation for any reason whatsoever to passengers holding reserved tickets, no cancellation charge shall be levied and full refund of fare shall be granted to them if such tickets are surrendered for refund within three hours from the actual departure of the train:

Provided that when the train is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances such as accidents, breaches and floods, the ticket is surrendered within three days excluding the scheduled day of departure of the train.

Rule - 13. Partially used tickets.

(1)     Except as provided in these rules, no refund shall be granted at a station on a ticket on which part of the journey has been undertaken.

(2)     Where a passenger terminates the journey en route, a ticket deposit receipt shall be issued to the ticket holder by the stationmaster of the station in lieu of surrender of the ticket and refund shall be admissible in terms of Rule 21. In such cases, fare for the travelled portion shall be retained and the balance amount of the ticket shall be refundable as the fare for the untravelled journey.

Rule - 14. Discontinuation of journey due to dislocation of train services.

(1)     When a train journey is dislocated en route due to unforeseen circumstances, such as accidents, breaches and floods, full fare for the entire booked journey without any deduction for the travelled portion and without levy of cancellation charge shall be refunded at the station at which the journey is terminated under the following circumstances.

(a)      when the railway is unable to carry the passenger to destination station within a reasonable time by arranging transhipment or diversion or otherwise; or

(b)      when the passenger is involved in a railway accident and/or injured in the accident and does not continue his journey; or

(c)      in the case of death or injury to a passenger in a railway accident, the kith and kin of the passenger have to terminate the journey.

(2)     Where the railway administration offers to carry the passenger to his destination station by any diverted route by arranging transhipment or otherwise, and the passenger is not willing to avail of such an alternative arrangement, fare for travelled portion shall be retained and the balance amount of ticket shall be refunded as the fare for untravelled portion, without levying any cancellation charges, at the station at which the journey has been terminated.

(3)     Where the train journey is dislocated en route due to bandhs, agitations or rail roko, fare for travelled portion shall be retained and the balance amount of ticket shall be refunded as the fare for untravelled portion, without levying any cancellation charges.

(4)     If the trains, which have separate all-inclusive fare structure on point to point basis, are terminated at a non-scheduled stoppage of the train and the passenger is not willing to avail of the alternative arrangement made by the railway administration to carry the passenger to his destination station, fare for the distance travelled shall be retained based on the per kilometre fare of ticket and the balance amount shall be refunded as the fare for untravelled portion of journey.

Rule - 15. Refund of certain fare on failure to provide air-conditioning facility in air-conditioned coaches.

(1)     Where the air-conditioning facility could not be provided for a portion of journey, refund on tickets issued for air-conditioned coaches shall be granted for such portion on the following basis, namely.

(a)      if the ticket is for air-conditioned first class, the difference between the air-conditioned first class fare and first class fare;

(b)      if the ticket is for air-conditioned sleeper/air-conditioned 3-tier sleeper class, the difference between air-conditioned sleeper/air-conditioned 3-tier sleeper class fare and sleeper class fare (Mail and Express);

(c)      if the ticket is for air-conditioned chair car, the difference between air-conditioned chair car fare and second class fare (Mail and Express);

(d)      if the ticket is for executive class, the difference between the notified executive class fare for the concerned section and the first class fare (Mail and Express) for the concerned distance of that section.

(2)     The refund of difference of fare under sub-rule (1) shall be granted at the destination station on production of the ticket along with a certificate from the conductor or the guard or the travelling ticket examiner of the train giving particulars of the ticket, number of the coach and stations between which the air-conditioning facility was not provided, and is presented within twenty hours of arrival of the train.

Rule - 16. When passengers are made to travel in lower class for want of accommodation.

If the ticket holder of a higher class is made to travel in a lower class for want of accommodation in the class for which the ticket was issued, refund of the difference between the fare paid and the fare payable for the class in which it is actually used shall be granted at the destination station or at the originating station, as the case may be:

[14][Provided that refund shall be granted at the destination station on production of a certificate from the conductor or the guard or the travelling ticket examiner of the train certifying that the holder of the ticket had to travel in a lower class for want of accommodation in the class for which it was issued and the ticket, along with the above certificate, is presented within two days of the date of issue of the certificate (excluding the date of issue of the certificate).]

Rule - 17. Lost, misplaced, torn or mutilated tickets.

(1)     No refund of fare in respect of a lost or misplaced ticket shall be granted.

(2)     Refund of fare shall be granted in respect of a torn or mutilated ticket if its genuineness and authenticity are verifiable on the basis of the particulars visible on the face of the ticket.

(3)     (i) If the reservation status of a lost, misplaced, torn or mutilated ticket, at the time of receipt of the application for issuance of a duplicate ticket for the purpose of undertaking journey, is reserved or RAC and that the duplicate ticket is sought before preparation of reservation chart of the concerned train, the stationmaster shall issue a duplicate ticket in lieu of the original ticket on collection of [15][the clerkage charge per passenger].

[16][* * *]

(ii) If a duplicate ticket in lieu of a lost or misplaced reserved ticket is sought after preparation of reservation charge of the concerned train, it shall be issued on collection of a charge equivalent to fifty per cent of the total fare. Duplicate tickets shall, however, not be issued in respect of RAC tickets after preparation of reservation chart of the concerned train.

(iii) If a duplicate ticket in lieu of a torn or mutilated reserved or RAC ticket is sought after preparation of reservation chart of the concerned train, it shall be issued on collection of a charge equivalent to twenty five per cent of the total fare.

(iv) A duplicate ticket in respect of a party coach ticket or a special train ticket, shall be issued up to the time of departure of the train, on collection of a charge equivalent to ten per cent of the total fare.

(4)     (i) No refund shall be granted in respect of charges collected under sub-rule (3) except in cases where the lost or misplaced ticket is traced after the issuance of a duplicate ticket and presented along with the duplicate ticket before departure of the train. [17][The charges collected towards the issuance of duplicate ticket shall be refunded after deducting five per cent thereof subject to a minimum deduction of rupees twenty. In case the journey is also not undertaken, the cancellation charges on the original ticket shall be determined as provided under these rules.]

[18][* * *]

[19][(ii)] If the passenger, who has paid excess charges in the train on account of his reserved ticket or RAC ticket being lost, misplaced, torn or mutilated, makes an application to a railway administration for grant of refund of the charges paid in train, the Chief Commercial Manager (Refunds) of that Railway administration may, after making such enquiry as he may deem necessary, grant refund of total charges realised in the train, after retaining the cancellation charges at fifty per cent of the single journey ticket fare per passenger provided that no one has taken refund earlier on the original ticket.

Rule - 18. Wait-listed passengers or concession and privilege ticket order tickets.

When any person has purchased a ticket on any concessional order or privilege ticket order, and is wait-listed for reservation in any train, he shall be entitled to avail of the same ticket for reservation in any other train on the same date or any other date, without losing the benefit of concessional fare.

Rule - 19. Unused portion of return tickets.

(1)     No refund shall be granted on the unused portion of the concessional return tickets.

(2)     When a return ticket is issued without any concession, it shall be treated like two single journey tickets and the refund shall be granted accordingly.

Rule - 20. Refund of fare on unused tickets and freight realised on luggage tickets in respect of luggage booked on the same ticket in case the journey is not undertaken.

(1)     Refund of freight on luggage shall be granted by the stationmaster as under:

(2)     On production of journey ticket on which luggage has been booked, the fare shall be refunded only if bearing the endorsement referred to in sub-rule (1) on the unused ticket after deducting the cancellation charges or clerkage as per rules.

Rule - 21. Application for refund in other circumstances.

For refund the fare under circumstances other than those specified in these rules or where refund is not admissible or granted at the station on account of expiry of time limits prescribed under these rules or otherwise, a Ticket Deposit Receipt shall be issued to the passenger in lieu of the surrendered ticket, at the station where ticket has been surrendered and the passenger may apply for refund, within ninety days from the day of commencement of journey, to the Chief Commercial Manager (Refunds) of the railway administration under whose jurisdiction the Ticket Deposit Receipt issuing station comes, enclosing the original Ticket Deposit Receipt. Ticket Deposit Receipt shall be issued only up to thirty days after the scheduled departure of the train.