IRCTC Grant Full Refund of Tickets Booked for Journeys Scheduled Between 1st July to 12 Aug
IRCTC Grant Full Refund of Tickets Booked for Journeys Scheduled Between 01-07-2025 to 12-08-2025
Indian Railways to grant full refund of tickets booked for journeys scheduled between 1st July to 12 Aug
Indian Railways has decided to grant full refund of all the tickets booked for the regular time-tabled trains for journeys scheduled to have commenced between 1st of July to 12 August 2025.
Also Read: IRCTC Latest Guidelines on Cancellation of Ticket and Refund of Fare
Earlier, Railways had canceled all the regular time-tabled passenger services including Mail/Express, passenger and suburban services up to 12th August this year. The Ministry said, the services of existing trains will not be affected due to this decision of Railways and the operation of all the 115 pairs of special trains which have started after the lockdown, will continue.
The Ministry of Railways in a statement said that the services of regular time-tabled passenger trains had been suspended due to the imposition of lockdown and later the booking of tickets for these trains was also not allowed from 14th of April. But on account of the 120 day advance booking facility, tickets were booked for undertaking journeys till 12th of August. Earlier Railways had granted full refund of the tickets booked for these regular time-tabled trains for journeys till 30th of this month.
The Ministry said, now full refund will be given for the journey to be commenced from 1st of July to 12th of August. The Ministry said, it may take a decision to introduce some more special trains after assessing the situation.
Here’s the verified update on IRCTC offering full refunds for tickets booked for journeys scheduled between 1 July 2025 and 12 August 2025:
Contents
✅ Official Change for 1 July – 12 August 2025 Bookings
Indian Railways and IRCTC announced that for tickets booked during this period, passengers are eligible for a full refund under certain conditions:
- If the train is cancelled—automatic full fare refund will be initiated without requiring a Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) or manual cancellation
- If the train is delayed by over 3 hours, passengers can file a TDR within 72 hours to claim a full refund, provided the delay occurred before departure and seats were not used
This is part of a new refund policy IRCTC introduced starting July 1, 2025, to streamline customer experience on disrupted bookings
📜 Standard Refund Rules Still Apply Elsewhere
For cancellations outside these specific circumstances (i.e., personal cancellations without delay or train cancellation), normal refund rules are still in force:
- More than 48 hours before departure: Flat cancellation charges apply (e.g., ₹240 for AC classes, ₹120 for sleeper class, ₹60 for second class)
- Between 48–12 hours before departure: 25% deduction of ticket fare.
- Less than 12 hours and up to chart preparation: 50% deduction.
- Within 4 hours of departure: No refund. For RAC or waitlisted tickets, ₹20 + GST per passenger is deducted if cancelled up to 30 minutes before departure; unconfirmed tickets after charting are fully refunded automatically
📋 Summary Table: Refund Rules
| Scenario | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Train cancelled (anytime for journeys booked between 1 Jul & 12 Aug 2025) | 100% refund (automatic) |
| Train delayed by ≥ 3 hours, passenger doesn’t travel | Full refund (TDR filed in 72 hrs) |
| Standard passenger-initiated cancellation | Standard deductions apply as per cancellation time |
| Waitlisted tickets not confirmed after charting | Full refund, no deductions |
🔍 Why This Matters
- This temporary refund provision applies only to journeys scheduled between July 1 and August 12, 2025—a window shown to help passengers impacted by service disruptions or other service-level issues.
- Whether you booked early or opted for Tatkal, you’ll receive a full refund if the train is cancelled, or if it runs more than three hours late and you choose not to travel.
- This new process eliminates delays—refund claims are now credited within 2 hours for premium trains (like Tejas, Vande Bharat), and generally within 5–7 working days for other standard tickets
🛠️ What You Should Do
- If your train is cancelled, no action is needed—IRCTC will refund automatically to your original payment method.
- If the train is delayed by three or more hours and you decide not to travel:
- File a TDR within 72 hours of scheduled departure.
- Choose the option “Train delayed by more than three hours”.
- Refund will be issued per refund rules above.
- If it’s a personal cancellation—e.g. ticket no longer required—apply standard cancellation rules according to timing.
- For Tatkal bookings, confirmed Tatkal tickets remain non-refundable unless train cancellation or delay occurs.
Would you like help with:
- Filing a TDR online,
- Using refund status trackers,
- Or refund options specific to Tatkal or premium trains like Vande Bharat?
Happy to walk you through!