Railways revise refund policy Indian Railways has introduced a revised refund policy, extending the no-refund window to eight hours before a train's departure, up from the previous four-hour limit. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the changes on Tuesday, stating that the new rules will apply from April 1 to 15. Under the updated policy, cancellations made within eight hours of departure will result in no refund. For cancellations between 24 and eight hours before departure, passengers will face a 50% deduction of the ticket cost, compared to the current 12 to four-hour window, which also had a 50% charge. Cancellations between 72 and 24 hours before departure will incur a 25% deduction, while refunds for cancellations made more than 72 hours in advance will be fully processed, excluding a flat cancellation charge per passenger. The reforms aim to curb black marketing and last-minute ticket sales by agents. The changes have already been implemented on Vande Bharat Sleeper and Amrit Bharat II trains launched after January 2026. The ministry first introduced the policy through a notification dated January 16, 2026, which amended the Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Ticket and Refund of Fare) Rules, 2015. Additional changes include allowing travel class upgradation for counter ticket holders up to 30 minutes before departure, instead of the previous restriction to the first chart release. Passengers can also change their boarding point 30 minutes before the train's scheduled departure, provided they hold a confirmed ticket. This flexibility is intended to accommodate last-minute travel adjustments without affecting ticket costs.#indian_railways #ashwini_vaishnaw #vande_bharat_sleeper #amrit_bharat_ii #tatkal_booking
