Indian Railways has made it easier for passengers to cancel tickets bought at railway counters. Now, travelers can cancel these tickets online instead of going to the station. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced this new facility, saying it will save time and effort for many people.
From Friday, passengers can cancel their counter tickets online through the IRCTC website or by calling 139. However, they will still need to visit the reservation center to get their refund.
BJP MP Medha Vishram Kulkarni raised the issue of whether passengers with waitlisted tickets bought from railway counters need to visit the station before the train departs to cancel them, as per media reports.
In response, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated in the Rajya Sabha that waitlisted PRS counter tickets can only be canceled at the reservation counter by returning the original ticket, following the time limits set under the Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Tickets and Refund of Fares) Rules, 2015.
He further stated that under normal conditions, a PRS counter ticket can be canceled online through the IRCTC website or by calling 139 within the time limit set by the Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Tickets and Refund of Fares) Rules, 2015. To receive the refund, passengers must submit the original PRS counter ticket at the reservation counter, as per the latest instructions.
Earlier, passengers had to visit railway counters to cancel tickets and get refunds, which was a time-consuming process. Now, with the new online cancellation system, they can cancel tickets through the Indian Railways website or mobile app, making it easier and more convenient.
This initiative is part of Indian Railways’ efforts to digitize services and enhance the travel experience, supporting the government’s push for digitalization. Here’s a closer look at how this facility works and how passengers can use it.
COUNTER-TICKET CANCELLATION PROCEDURE
- Enter the PNR Number and train number along with Captcha.
- Select the checkbox to confirm that the rules and procedures are read.
- After clicking on submit, an OTP will be sent to the mobile number given at the time of booking. Enter the received OTP and click submit.
- Once the OTP is validated, PNR details will be displayed on the screen.
- After verifying the details, click on ‘Cancel Ticket’ for full cancellation. The refund amount due will be displayed on the screen.
- An SMS will be sent with PNR and refund details. Sample format: “Your PNR xxxxxxxxxx has been cancelled. Collect refund amount xxxxx from the journey commencing station or nearby satellite PRS locations. Ref. Terms and conditions.”
- For tickets cancelled (including return journey tickets) up to 4 hours before the scheduled departure for confirmed tickets and up to 30 minutes before departure for RAC/waitlisted tickets, the refund can be collected from any PRS counter of Indian Railways by surrendering the original journey ticket. Refunds beyond this time limit are available at the journey commencing station or at nearby satellite PRS locations.
- During the first two hours of PRS counter opening on the next day for trains with departure times between 18:01 and 06:00 hours.
- Up to 4 hours after the scheduled departure during PRS counter working hours for trains with departure times between 06:01 and 18:00 hours.
COUNTER-TICKET CANCELLATION RULES
- Online cancellation is applicable only if a valid mobile number was provided at the time of booking.
- Cancellation and refunds of PRS counter tickets are allowed under normal circumstances but not in cases of train delays or cancellations.
- Online cancellation is permitted up to 4 hours before departure for fully confirmed tickets.
- Online cancellation is permitted up to 30 minutes before departure for RAC/Waitlisted tickets.
- Refund collection follows the same rules as mentioned above.
- Passenger details (name, age, gender, booking status, current status) and journey details will be displayed on the website.
- Once the passenger confirms, full cancellation of the PNR will be done, and the PNR will be marked as “Cancelled but not refunded” in the system. The seat/berth will be released, and the refund amount due will be displayed on the website.
- Privilege/duty pass/PTOs/complimentary pass tickets can be cancelled online. Pass holders must visit the counter for re-validation if required.
- PTO tickets issued at 1/3rd of the total basic fare will have normal cancellation charges applied. Since cancellation charges may exceed the ticket value, passengers may choose whether to cancel PTO tickets online.
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