Train Ticket Cancellation Charges By Class 2026

When you cancel a confirmed IRCTC e-ticket, the railways do not refund the full fare. A fixed cancellation charge is cut for every passenger, and the amount depends on your travel class and on how early you cancel. This page gives you the exact fee slabs so you know in advance how much will be deducted before you press the cancel button.

The headline rule is simple. The earlier you cancel, the smaller the deduction. If you cancel more than 48 hours before departure you pay only a flat charge per passenger. Cancel later and a percentage of the fare is taken instead, with that same flat charge as the floor.

This table applies when you cancel a confirmed e-ticket more than 48 hours before the scheduled departure of the train. The amount is charged per passenger.

These flat figures are also the minimum charge. Even in the time slabs below, the deduction will never be less than the flat charge for your class.

For a confirmed e-ticket, the cancellation charge moves up as departure gets closer:

1. More than 48 hours before departure: only the flat charge for your class, as shown in the table above.
2. Within 48 hours and up to 12 hours before departure: 25 percent of the fare, subject to the minimum flat charge for your class.
3. Within 12 hours and up to 4 hours before departure: 50 percent of the fare paid, subject to the minimum flat charge for your class.

So if 25 percent or 50 percent of your fare works out to less than the flat charge, the flat charge applies instead. For a cheap Second Class ticket cancelled close to departure, the Rs 60 floor is usually what you pay.

A note on tax. For AC classes and First Class, GST may be added on top of the cancellation charge. The exact tax shown on your cancellation receipt depends on the class and the prevailing rate, so always check the refund breakup on the IRCTC site after you cancel.

Once the reservation chart is prepared, a confirmed e-ticket generally cannot be cancelled online through IRCTC. If you still cannot travel, you do not simply lose the money. You file a Ticket Deposit Receipt, known as a TDR, and the railways decide your refund in eligible cases such as the train being late beyond limits or coach problems.

The TDR route has its own rules, deadlines and online form. We have explained the full process in how to claim a train ticket refund through TDR, so use that page once charting is done.

For waitlisted or RAC e-tickets that stay fully waitlisted after charting, you usually do not need to do anything. The refund is processed automatically as per railway rules and credited back to the account used for booking.

If you cancel an AC 3 Tier confirmed e-ticket more than 48 hours before departure, the flat cancellation charge is Rs 180 per passenger. The same Rs 180 also acts as the minimum if you cancel later and the percentage works out lower.

The flat cancellation charge is applied per passenger, not per ticket. If three people are travelling on one Sleeper Class e-ticket and you cancel early, the deduction is Rs 120 for each of them.

The flat charge for your class is the floor. If 25 percent or 50 percent of the fare comes to less than that flat amount, you are charged the flat amount instead. The deduction never drops below the per class minimum.

Usually no. After chart preparation a confirmed e-ticket cannot be cancelled online. Your option is to file a TDR for a refund in eligible situations. See our guide on claiming a refund through TDR.

For AC classes and First Class, GST may be charged on the cancellation amount. The exact figure appears in the refund breakup shown when you cancel. Non AC classes are treated differently, so always read the on screen receipt.

The refundable amount, after the cancellation charge is deducted, is credited back to the same payment method or account used for booking. Timelines vary by bank and payment mode, so check your statement a few days after cancelling.

Knowing the fee slabs helps you decide whether to cancel early, hold the ticket, or look at other options. A few useful reads:

• Cancelling after charting: claim a train ticket refund through TDR
• Booking last minute: how to apply for an IRCTC Tatkal ticket
• Lower fares for elders: railway senior citizen concession
• Bus refund stuck: bus ticket cancelled but refund pending

For a wider view of using public records and citizen rights to chase a stuck refund or a wrongly denied claim, see The RTI Playbook.

This guide is maintained by the editorial team led by Dr. Shrawan Kumar Pathak to keep railway refund information simple and current for ordinary travellers.