Railways' Rules For Online Ticket Reservation And Cancellation Explained

IRCTC ticket reservation: Passengers can book a ticket up to 120 days in advance for all classes and trains, according to IRCTC's website.

IRCTC or Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, the e-ticketing arm of Indian Railways, has set certain rules for booking and cancellation of train tickets. Passengers can book a ticket up to 120 days in advance for all classes and trains, according to IRCTC's website - irctc.co.in. IRCTC allows senior citizens, journalists and persons with disabilities to book concessional tickets. In case of a ticket cancellation, IRCTC refunds the amount after deducting the applicable charges, by crediting it to the account from which the booking transaction took place.

Given below are some of the booking and cancellation rules of IRCTC:

1. An individual can book only up to six passengers on one requisition form provided under certain conditions. For this, all bookings must be for the same destination and for the same train, according to the IRCTC website.
2. The reservation charges vary for different booking classes. Miscellaneous charges such as reservation fee, super-fast charge, catering charge and GST (Goods and Services Tax), wherever applicable, are levied in addition to the base fares, according to Indian Railways' website - indianrailways.gov.in.
3. Passengers with confirmed reservations are allotted berths at the time of booking, and the coach and berth numbers are indicated on the ticket.
4. In case of senior citizens' ticket booking, IRCTC offers certain concession on fares. The amount of concession allowed is 40 per cent for male senior citizens and 50 per cent for female senior citizens. The minimum age limits for male and female senior citizens to avail the concession have been set at 60 years and 58 years respectively, according to IRCTC.
5. Users can also select the "Divyaang or Journalist Concession" option, wherever applicable, while booking tickets. 
6. Cancellation of e-tickets can be done by passengers only before chart preparation of the train.
7. If a confirmed ticket is cancelled more than 48 hours before the scheduled departure of the train, cancellation charges stand at Rs. 240 (per passenger) for AC first class/executive class, Rs. 200 for AC 2 tier/first class, Rs. 180 for AC 3 tier/AC chair car/AC 3 economy, Rs. 120 for sleeper class, and Rs. 60 for second class.
8. If a confirmed ticket is cancelled within 48 hours and up to 12 hours before the scheduled departure of the train, a cancellation charge of 25 per cent of the fare subject to the minimum flat rate mentioned is levied.
9. A cancellation charge on confirmed tickets in less than 12 hours and up to four hours before the scheduled departure of a train or up to chart preparation, whichever earlier, of 50 per cent of the fare is applicable, according to the IRCTC website.
10. After chart preparation, passengers can use the online TDR (ticket deposit receipt) filing facility and track the status of refund.

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