Train ticket cancellation charges and refund rules

Short answer

For a confirmed ticket cancelled more than 48 hours before departure, a flat charge applies per passenger — ₹240 for AC First / Executive, ₹200 for AC 2-tier, ₹180 for AC 3-tier and Chair Car, ₹120 for Sleeper, ₹60 for Second Sitting. Between 48 and 12 hours it is 25% of the fare, between 12 and 4 hours 50%, and inside 4 hours nothing. RAC and waitlisted tickets cancelled up to 30 minutes before departure lose only ₹60 clerkage.

Confirmed tickets

The charge depends on how long before the train’s scheduled departure from your boarding station you cancel, and on the class. It is per passenger, not per ticket.

Cancelled	Charge per passenger
More than 48 hours before	Flat: ₹240 in 1A / EC · ₹200 in 2A / FC · ₹180 in 3A / 3E / CC · ₹120 in SL · ₹60 in 2S
48 to 12 hours before	25% of the fare, or the flat charge above if that is more
12 to 4 hours before	50% of the fare, or the flat charge if that is more
Less than 4 hours before	No refund

E-tickets can be cancelled online only until the chart is prepared. After the chart, a refund is claimed by filing a TDR (Ticket Deposit Receipt) on IRCTC, and only for the reasons the rules allow.

RAC and waitlisted tickets

Cancelled up to 30 minutes before departure: refund of the fare minus a clerkage of ₹60 per passenger.
Inside 30 minutes: no refund.
A fully waitlisted e-ticket that has not confirmed by chart preparation is cancelled automatically and refunded, minus clerkage, to the payment source — nothing to do.
A partially confirmed booking (some passengers CNF, some RAC or WL) can be cancelled in full up to 30 minutes before departure with only clerkage deducted — the rule that lets a family who will only travel together walk away cheaply.

Tatkal

No refund on a confirmed Tatkal ticket cancelled by you, at any time. A Tatkal waitlist follows the RAC/WL rules above. Full details in the Tatkal guide.

When you get everything back

Train cancelled by the railway: full refund, automatic for e-tickets.
Train more than three hours late at your boarding station and you choose not to travel: file a TDR before the train departs; full refund.
Train diverted and does not touch your boarding or destination station: full refund on TDR.
AC failure for the journey, or travelling in a lower class than booked: partial refund of the fare difference on a TTE certificate and TDR.

What does not get a refund: missing a connecting train because your first train was late. The second ticket is an ordinary no-show. The three-hour rule applies to the train that was late, not to the one you missed because of it — see planning connections.

The cheapest cancellation is the one you do not make. Most cancelled tickets were bought as backups for a waitlist that might not clear. YaatriGan shows the official availability for every train and class on the route, with the predictions kept honestly separate, so the backup can be the option that has seats — not a second waitlist and a second charge.

Questions people ask

Do I get a refund if my waitlisted ticket does not confirm?

Yes, automatically. A fully waitlisted e-ticket is cancelled when the chart is prepared and the fare is refunded to the account you paid from, minus clerkage.

Is the cancellation charge per ticket or per passenger?

Per passenger. A ticket with four passengers cancelled early pays four flat charges.

What if the train is cancelled or very late?

If the train is cancelled, the full fare is refunded. If it runs more than three hours late at your boarding station and you decide not to travel, you can file a TDR for a full refund.

Rules quoted here are Indian Railways’ published rules as we understand them on the date above. They change; the official channel’s page at the time you book is what governs. YaatriGan is independent and is not affiliated with Indian Railways or IRCTC.