Indian Railways has rolled out tighter ticket cancellation and refund rules for its premium Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat train services, impacting passengers with confirmed reservations. As per the revised policy, no refund will be issued if a confirmed ticket is cancelled within eight hours of the scheduled departure, marking a major shift from earlier practices and from the norms followed on regular mail and express trains.
The new rules, issued by the Railway Ministry, are aimed at curbing last-minute cancellations, enhancing seat utilisation, and improving operational efficiency on these high-demand routes.
Indian Railways Revised Cancellation and Refund Policy
Under the updated framework, passengers travelling on Vande Bharat Sleeper Express and Amrit Bharat II trains will forfeit the entire fare if they cancel a confirmed ticket less than eight hours before departure. This is a significant departure from the policy for conventional trains, where partial refunds are still available up to four hours before departure after deducting cancellation charges.
The eight-hour cut-off applies to all travel classes on these premium services, leaving no scope for refunds in case of late cancellations.
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For tickets cancelled more than 72 hours before departure, a 25 per cent cancellation fee will be deducted, while cancellations made between 72 hours and eight hours prior to departure will attract a 50 per cent charge, with the remaining amount refunded. These slabs replace the more flexible refund rules that earlier applied to long-distance rail services.
Vande Bharat: Reason Behind the Change in Ticket Cancellation Rules
According to railway officials, the revised rules are intended to discourage passengers from cancelling tickets at the last minute on trains where seats and berths are fully confirmed at the time of booking. Unlike regular trains, these premium services do not offer RAC or waiting list options, making last-minute cancellations particularly disruptive.
The stricter policy is expected to protect revenue, ensure better utilisation of limited seats, and maintain service efficiency on premium routes.
Passengers planning to travel on these trains are advised to confirm their plans carefully before booking, as cancellations close to departure will result in no refund whatsoever.