Refund of ticket fares for trains cancellation on account of COVID-19
Refund of ticket fares for trains cancellation on account of COVID-19
1) In pursuance of Railway Board’s instructions, Southern Railway is arranging full refund to ticket fares for trains cancelled after 22/03/2025 on account of COVID-19
2) The refund of ticket fares are being granted on line at www.irctc.co.in for all tickets on the website.
Also Read: IRCTC Grant Full Refund of Tickets Booked for Journeys Scheduled Between 01-07-2025 to 12-08-2025
3) Passengers may note that for counter tickets, 100% refund will be made available for all the cancelled trains (After 22/03/2025) upto 180 days from the date of journey. Hence, there is no urgency to come to the counters.
4) In view of the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tamil Nadu, the refund for stations in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry will be disbursed slightly later in a staggered manner. This is in order to ensure that social distancing norms are not violated by queues at various stations for disbursal of the refunds. The dates for starting refunds at Stations in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry will be intimated shortly
5) The following procedure will be followed for tickers booked at Counters in Kerala and Karnataka
The refunds will be made available in a staggered manner a shown below so as to minimize the queues at the counters and to ensure social distancing for the protection of our customers.
Refunds will be available in counters in various divisions as follows:
I. KERALA :
1)Trivandrum Division:
Trivandrum Central, Kollam Jn, Kayankulam, Chengannur, Tiruvalla, Kottayam, Alleppey, Ernakulam Jn, Ernakulam Town, Aluva, Thrisur
2)Palghat Division:
Calicut, Palghat
II) KARNATAKA :
Mangalore Junction
6) The staggered disbursal of refunds will be carried out at all the above counters in the following manner:
| Journey Commencing Date | Date of Refund on PRS Counters |
| 22.03.2025 to 31.03.2025 | From 27.05.2025 onwards |
| 01.04.2025 to 14.04.2025 | From 03.06.2025 onwards |
| 15.04.2025 to 30.04.2025 | From 09.06.2025 onwards |
| 01.05.2025 to 15.05.2025 | From 16.06.2025 onwards |
| 16.05.2025 to 31.05.2025 | From 23.06.2025 onwards |
| 01.06.2025 to 30.06.2025 | From 28.06.2025 onwards |
7) All COVID-19 precautions should be strictly enforced at the counters. Social distancing norms should be ensured in queues and between queues. No persons will be allowed at the PRS Counters without wearing the masks. The staff are instructed to wear gloves and masks and frequent use of sanitizers will be resorted to while handling cash. The counters will also be sanitized frequently
8) Our esteemed passengers are requested to follow the above precautions keeping in mind that there is time available upto 6 months from the date of travel for collecting the full refunds.
Here’s what you need to know about ticket fare refunds when trains are cancelled on account of COVID‑19:
Contents
🔹 Automatic Full Refunds for COVID‑Cancelled Trains
- If a train is fully cancelled by Indian Railways due to COVID‑19 or other unavoidable reasons (e.g. lockdowns, floods, strikes), passengers need not cancel their tickets.
- E‑tickets are automatically cancelled, and full fare is refunded to the original payment account, with no cancellation charges. Online filing of TDR is not required.
- PRS counter tickets can be surrendered at any reservation counter within 3 days of the scheduled journey date for a full refund, with no fees or deductions.
🧾 General Refund Rules (Post-COVID Standard Policy)
✅ Confirmed E‑Tickets (Passenger-Initiated)
- More than 48 hours before departure:
Flat cancellation charges—₹240 (1A), ₹200 (2A/First), ₹180 (3A/CC), ₹120 (Sleeper), ₹60 (2S)—per passenger. - Between 48 and 12 hours:
Refund = 75% of fare (i.e. 25% deduction, minimum per slab). - Between 12 and 4 hours (or till charting):
Refund = 50% of fare (minimum slab). - After charting or within 4 hours of departure:
No refund unless a valid TDR is filed prior to departure.
🔄 Waitlisted or RAC Tickets
- Automatically cancelled post-charting if remaining on waiting list.
- Full fare refund credited, with no cancellation charges.
🎫 Partial Confirmed or Mixed Tickets
- If some passengers are confirmed and others RAC/WL:
- Within TDR deadlines, confirmed portions refunded minus ₹20 cancellation/service per person.
- After charting, but up to 30 minutes prior to departure: full refund for confirmed passengers, if others have not travelled.
🕒 Late Train (>3 Hours) Refunds
- If train is delayed by more than 3 hours at boarding station, and you choose not to travel, you are eligible for a full refund, provided you file TDR before the actual departure.
✅ Refund Summary Table
| Scenario | Refund Allowed? | Charges? |
|---|---|---|
| Train cancelled (COVID / other reasons) | Yes (auto for E‑ticket; surrender PRS) | None |
| Confirmed ticket cancelled >48 hrs | Yes | Flat minimum (₹60–₹240) |
| Confirmed ticket cancelled 12–48 hrs | Yes | 25% deduction |
| Confirmed ticket cancelled <12 hrs | Yes, if before chart | 50% deduction |
| Confirmed ticket after charting | Only if TDR filed | No refund otherwise |
| Wait‑listed (not confirmed) post-charting | Yes | None |
| Mixed confirmed + waitlisted | Yes, subject to TDR rules | ₹20 per confirmed |
| Train delayed >3 hours, passenger not traveled | Yes, if TDR pre-departure | Full refund |
📝 What You Should Do
- Train fully cancelled?
- E‑ticket: No action; refund is auto-processed.
- Counter ticket: Surrender within 3 days at PRS for full refund.
- For other cancellations, use IRCTC to cancel tickets at least 4 hours before departure or file TDR as early as possible.
- Keep documentation/ screenshots for TDR submissions and refund tracking.
- For PRS ticket cancellations via IRCTC/139, refunds can be collected within specified time windows at designated counters.
Would you like assistance with:
- Filing TDR online for delayed tickets?
- Step-by-step help with IRCTC counter ticket cancellation and refund collection?
- Exploring time cutoff windows for Surrender or TDR claims?
Happy to help you manage your refund smoothly!