Company : Sol Infotech Pvt. Ltd. Website : www.courtkutchehry.com RAILWAY PASSENGERS (CANCELLATION OF TICKET AND REFUND OF FARE) RULES, 1998 CONTENTS 1. Short title and commencement 2. Definitions 3. Station master to refund fares 4. Levy of clerkage 5. Unused tickets on which no reservation has been made 6. Unused tickets on which reservation has been made 7. Unused waitlisted or RAC tickets 8. Cancellation charges on multiple journey ticket 9. Postponement or Preponement of Journey on a reserved, RAC or waitlisted ticket 10. Change of journey from lower class to higher class 11. Non-commencement of missing of journey due to late running of trains 12. Cancellation of tickets where railway administration is unable to provide accommodation 13. Partially used tickets 14. Discontinuation of journey due to dislocation of train services 15. Refund of certain fare on failure to provide air-conditioning facility in air-conditioned coaches 16. When passengers are made to travel in lower class for want of accommodation 17. Lost, misplaced, torn or mutilated tickets 18. Wait-listed passengers or concession and privilege ticket order tickets 19. Unused portion of return tickets 2 0 . Refund of fare on unused tickets and freight realised on luggage tickets in respect of luggage booked on the same ticket in case the journey is not under taken 21. Application for refund in other circumstances RAILWAY PASSENGERS (CANCELLATION OF TICKET AND REFUND OF FARE) RULES, 1998 G.S.R. 410(E).-In exercise of powers conferred by sub-sec. (1), read with clause (b) of sub-sec. (2), of Sec. 60 of the Railways Act, 1989 (24 of 1989), and in supersession of Railway Passengers (Cancellation of tickets and refund offares) Rules, 1990 except as respect things done or omitted to be done before such supersession, the Central Government hereby makes the following, namely:- 1. Short title and commencement :- (1) These rules may be called Railway Passengers (Cancellation of ticket and refund of fare) Rules, 1998. (2) They shall come into force on the first day of October, 1998. 2. Definitions :- In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires- (a) "clerkage" means a charge levied by a railway administration for the clerical work rendered by it in the refund of fares; (b) "destination station" means the station for which the ticket has been issued; (c) "RAC ticket" means a ticket on which a seat has been reserved against requisition for a berth and a berth may be subsequently provided against cancellation, if any; (d) "fare" includes basic fare, supplementary charge on superfast trains and reservation fee; (e) "reserved ticket" means a journey ticket on which a berth or seat has been. reserved; (f) "reservation fee" means the charge, in addition to the fare, levied by the Railway administration for the reservation of a berth or seat; (g) "station" means a railway station and includes other reservation offices or booking offices in the same city; (h) "station master" means a railway employee, by whatever name called having overall charge of a railway station and includes any other railway employee authorised to grant refund of fare at a Station; (i) "ticket" means a single journey ticket or any of a return ticket but does not include a season ticket, an Indrai] Pass ticket or a special ticket for a reserved carriage or a tourist car or saloon, or a special train. 3. Station master to refund fares :- (1) Subject to the other provisions of these rules, every refund of fare on unused unreserved ticket shall, when such ticket is presented for refund of fare to the station master of ticket issuing station be granted by such station master after verifying the genuineness of the ticket from the record of the station. (2) Subject to the other provisions of these rules, every refund of fare on reserved tickets, RAC tickets and wait-listed tickets shall, when such tickets are presented for refund of fare to the station master of ticket issuing station, be granted within the time limits prescribed in these rules, by such station master after verifying the genuineness of the tickets through computer of from the record of the station: Provided that.- (a) in case tickets which were issued for travel from a station than the ticket issuing station, refund of fare shall be admissible at- (i) the ticker issuing station, if the ticket is surrendered before the scheduled departure of the train from the station from where the ticket is valid for travel; and (ii) the journey commencing station, if the ticket is surrendered within the time limits prescribed in these rules, and (b) refund of fare may also be granted by the station master of a station other than the ticket issuing station and journey commencing station subject to the conditions that- (i) the ticket is surrendered for refund of fare during working hours of the reservation office and before the preparation of reservation chart, of the concerned train, for the station from where the ticket is valid; and (ii) the genuineness of the ticket and its particulars are verfiable at the refund granting station through computer or from record of the station. 4. Levy of clerkage :- Subject to the other provisions of these rules, station master shall levy a clerkage of rupees ten per passenger for cancellation of unreserved, wait-listed and RAC tickets. 5. Unused tickets on which no reservation has been made :- If a ticket on which no reservation of a seat or berth has been made is presented to the station master for cancellation within three hours after the actual departure of the train for which the ticket is issued or for any ticket valid for the whole day, within three hours after the actual departure of the last train of the day for the destination station, refund of fare shall be made on every such ticket after deducting the clerkage. 6. Unused tickets on which reservation has been made :- (1) Subject to the provisions of these rules, if a ticket on which reservation of a seat or berth has been made is presented by the passenger or his agent to a station master for cancellation, refund of fare shall be made after deducting cancellation charge from the fare as follows:- (a) If the ticket is presented for cancellation more than one day in advance of the scheduled departure of the train (excluding the day of journey), the per passenger cancellation charge shall be deducted at a flat rate of Rupees fifty for air-conditioned first class/executive class. Rupees thirty for air-conditioned sleeper class/air-conditioned 3-tier sleeper class/first class/air- conditioned chair car, Rupees twenty for sleeper class and Rupees ten for second class: (b) If the ticket is presented for cancellation within one day in advance (excluding the day of journey) and upto four hours before the scheduled departure of the train, cancellation charge shall be Twenty five per cent of the fare subject to the minimum flat rate mentioned in clause (a); (c) If the ticket is presented for cancellation within four hours before scheduled departure of the train and upto- (i) three hours, when the ticket is for a destination station upto Two hundred Kilometres, (ii) six hours, when the ticket is for a destination station of more than Two hundred Kilometres but upto five hundred kilometres, and (iii) twelve hours, when the ticket is for a destination station of more than Five hundred Kilometres, after the actual departure of the train cancellation charge shall be fifty per cent of the fare subject to the minimum flat rate mentioned in clause (a): Provided that for night trains leaving between 21.00 hours and 06.00 hours (actual departure), refund shall be admissible at the station within the time limits specified above or within 1 first four hours after the opening of reservation office, whichever is later. (2) No refund shall be granted at the station if the ticket is surrendered for cancellation after the expiry of the period mentioned under clause (c) of sub-rule (1). Note.-In case, on a party ticket or a family ticket issued for travel of more than one person some persons have confirmed reservation and others are on waiting list, full refund of fare, Iess clerkage, shall be admissible for confirmed passengers also provided that the entire ticket is surrendered for cancellation at the journey commencing station within four hours before the scheduled departure of the train and upto three hours after actual departure of the train. 1. Substituted by the Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Ticket and Refund of Fare) Amendment Rules, 2001 for the Words "First Two Hours" 7. Unused waitlisted or RAC tickets :- (1) Subject to provisions of sub-rule (2), no cancellation charge shall be payable if a wait-listed or SAC ticket is presented for cancellation. (i) upto three hours, when the ticket is for a destination station upto Two hundred Kilometres, (ii) upto six hours, when the ticket is for a destination station of more than Two hundred Kilometres but upto five hundred Kilometres, and (iii) upto twelve hours, when the ticket is for a destination station of more than Five hundred Kilometres, after the actual departure of the train except for the deduction of the clerkage: Provided that for night trains leading between 21.00 hours and 06.00 hours (actual departure), refund shall be admissible at the station within the time limits specified above or within 1 first four hours after the opening of reservation office, whichever is later. (2) Where confirmed reservation has been provided to RAC or waitlisted ticket holder at any time upto the final preparation of reservation chart, such ticket shall be treated as a reserved ticket and cancellation charge shall be payable in accordance with Rule 6, 1. Substituted by the Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Ticket and Refund of Fare) Amendment Rules, 2001 for the Words "First Two Hours" 8. Cancellation charges on multiple journey ticket :- 1 When an unused ticket involving more than one journey is surrendered for cancellation, the entire ticket shall be treated as one single journey ticket and refund of face of the entire ticket, irrespective of reservation status of different laps of journeys, shall be granted as per reservation status of first lap of journey, as under :- (i) if reservation status of first lap of journey is confirmed, refund shall be granted in accordance with rule 6; and (ii) if reservation status of first lap ofjoumey is RAC or waiting list, refund shall be granted in accordance with rule 7. Explanation :- The cancellation charges or clerk age shall be levied only once on the entire amount of ticket and not separately for each lap of journey." 1. Substituted for "Cancellation charge when reservation for starting journey is confirmed and onward journey is not confirmed or vice-versa(1) No cancellation charge shall be payable and fare shall be refundable after deducting the per passenger clerkage- (a) when the reservation of the starting journey is confirmed but onward journey reservation is not confirmed, if the ticket is cancelled at the starting station upto one day in advance (excluding the day of starting journey). (b) when the reservation of the starting journey is not confirmed but reservation has been confirmed for onward journey, if the ticket is cancelled at the starting station upto one day in advance (excluding the day of starting journey). (2) If the ticket is not cancelled within the time limits prescribed in sub-rule (1), cancellation charge shall be payable in accordance with Rule 6, but only on that part of the journey ticket on which confirmed reservation has been made. 9. Postponement or Preponement of Journey on a reserved, RAC or waitlisted ticket :- 1 (1) Postponement of Journey on reserved, RAC or waitlisted ticket shall be allowed in the same class in any other train on the same day or any subsequent day if- (a) the ticket is presented during the working hours of the reservation office and atleast twenty four hours before the scheduled departure of the train in which reservation has been made; and (b) accommodation is available in the train in which reservation is required. (2) Preponement of journey on reserved, RAC or waitlisted ticket shall be allowed in the same class by any earlier train on the same day or any earlier day, if- (a) the ticket is surrendered during the working hours of the reservation office and at least six hours before the scheduled departure of the train in which reservation is required, and (b) accommodation is available in the train in which reservation is required. Explanation.-In case there is a difference offares between the class of a train on which the ticket was originally reserved and the same class of the other train on which the postponement or preponement is provided, the change of reservation shall be made subject to refund or recovery of the difference, as the case may be. (3) Postponement or Preponement of journey under sub-rule (1) or sub-rule (2) shall be allowed only once, without levying any cancellation charges but on payment of- (a) fresh reservation fee, in the case of reserved ticket, and (b) clerkage, in the case of RAC and waitlisted ticket. (4) If the ticket, on which journey has been altered under sub-rule (1) or sub-rule (2), is cancelled, cancellation charges shall be payable as follows:- (a) cancellation charges as may be due if the original reservation had been cancelled at the time when the postponement or preponement of reservation was allowed, and (b) cancellation charges due in respect of the altered reservation as if this altered reservation is a fresh reservation." 1. Substituted for rule 9 for "Preponement or postponement of journey on a reserved, RAC or waitlisted ticket.-(1) If a reserved RAC or waitlisted ticket is presented at any time for postponement of journey in the same class in any other train on the same day or any subsequent day upto twenty four houses before the scheduled departure of the train in which reservation has been made, no cancellation charges or clerkage shall be levied but fresh reservation fee shall be charged, subject to the availability of accommodation in the train in which change is requested for; (2) Preponement of journey on reserved RAC or waitlisted ticket shall be allowed in the same class by any earlier train on the same day or any earlier day, without levying any cancellation charges but on payment of fresh reservation fee, provided that- (i) the ticket is surrendered during the working hours of reservation office and upto six hours before the scheduled departure of train in which reservation is required, and (ii) accommodation is available in the train in which reservation is required. Explanation.-In case of difference in fares between the class of a train on which the ticket was originally reserved and the same class of a train on which the preponement or postponement is provided, the change of reservation shall be made subject to refund or recovery of the difference, as the case may be. (3) Preponement or postponement ofjourney under sub-rule (1) or sub-rule (2) shall be allowed only once. (4) If the ticket on which journey has been altered under sub- rule (1) or sub-rule (2) is cancelled cancellation charge shall be payable as follows, namely- (a) cancellation charge as would have been due if the original reservation had been cancelled at the time when the preponement or postponement of reservation was allowed, and (b) cancellation charge due in respect of the altered reservation as if this altered reservation is a fresh reservation." by Railway Passengers (Cancellation of ticket and refund of fare) Amendment Rules, 2000 10. Change of journey from lower class to higher class :- (1) Change of reservation shall be allowed on a reserved ticket of lower class for higher class on the same train and day or when reserved for a seat in a class for reservation of a berth in the same class on the same train and day, without levying and cancellation charges but on payment of fresh reservation fee for higher class/berth, provided that- (i) accommodation is available, and (ii) the request for change is made- (a) either during the working hours of reservation office and upto six hours before the scheduled departure of the train, or (b) during the course of journey in the train. (2) The change referred to under sub-rule (1) shall be allowed only once. (3) If the ticket on which change of reservation has been allowed under sub-rule (1) is cancelled, cancellation charge shall be payable as follows, namely:- (a) cancellation charge as would have been due if the original reservation had been cancelled at the time when the change of reservation was allowed: and (b) cancellation charge due in respect of the altered reservation as if the altered reservation is a fresh reservation. 11. Non-commencement of missing of journey due to late running of trains :- 1 "(1) No cancellation charge or clerkage shall be levied and full fare shall be refunded to all passengers holding reserved, RAC and waitlisted tickets, if the journey is not undertaken due to late running of the train by more than three hours of the scheduled departure of the train from the journey commencing station provided that the ticket is surrendered upto the maximum time limits prescribed in clause (c) of sub-rule (1) of Rule 6." (2) Where a passenger holding a ticket, with or without reservation, misses connection for continued journey by another train at any junction station owing to late running of the train by which he had travelling the fare for travelled portion shall be retained and the balance amount of ticket shall be refunded as the fare for untravelled portion, without levying any cancellation charge or clerkage, if he surrenders the ticket for such refund within three hours of the actual arrival of the train by which he had travelled. The refund shall be granted at the junction station. 1. Substituted for sub-rule 1 of rule 11 "(1) No cancellation charge or clerkage shall be payable on a reserved, RAC and waitlisted ticket and full fare shall be refundable if the journey is not undertaken due to late running of trains by more than three hours provided that such ticket is surrendered before the actual departure o f the train.", by the "Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Ticket and Refund of Fare) Third Amendment Rules, 2000". 12. Cancellation of tickets where railway administration is unable to provide accommodation :- Where a railway administration is unable to provide accommodation for any reason whatsoever to passengers holding reserved tickets, no cancellation charge shall be levied and full refund of fare shall be granted to them if such tickets are surrendered for refund within three hours from the actual departure of the train: Provided that when the train is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances such as accidents, breaches and floods, the ticket is surrendered within three days excluding the scheduled day of departure of the train. 13. Partially used tickets :- (1) Except as provided in these rules, no refund shall be granted at a station on a ticket on which part of the journey has been undertaken. (2) Where a passenger terminates the journey enroute, a ticket deposit receipt shall be issued to the ticket holder by the station master of the station in lieu of surrender of the ticket and refund shall be admissible in terms of Rule 21. In such cases, fare for the travelled portion shall be retained and the balance amount of the ticket shall be refundable as the fare for the untravelled of journey. 14. Discontinuation of journey due to dislocation of train services :- (1) When a train journey is dislocated enroute due to unforeseen circumstances, such as accidents, breaches and floods, full fare for the entire booked journey without any deduction for the travelled portion and without levy of cancellation charge shall be refunded at the station at which the journey is terminated under the following circumstances:- (a) when the railway is unable to carry the passenger to destination station within a reasonable time by arranging transhipment or diversion or otherwise; or (b) when the passenger is involved in a railway accident and/or injured in the accident and does not continue his journey; or (c) in the case of death or injury to a passenger in a railway accident, the kith and kin of the passenger have to terminate the journey. (2) Where the railway administration offers to carry the passenger to his destination station by any diverted route by arranging transhipment or otherwise, and the passenger is not willing to avail of such an alternative arrangement, fare for travelled portion shall be retained and the balance amount of ticket shall be refunded as the fare for untravelled portion, without levying the cancellation charges, at the station at which the journey has been terminated. (3) Where the train journey is dislocated enroute due to bandhs, agitations or rail roko, fare for travelled portion shall be retained and the balance amount of ticket shall be refunded as the fare for untravelled portion, without levying any cancellation charges. (4) If the trains, which have separate all-inclusive fare structure on point basis, are terminated at a non-scheduled stoppage of the train and the passenger is not willing to avail of the alternative arrangement made by the railway administration to carry the passenger to his destination station, per kilometer fare of ticket and balance amount shall be refunded as the fare for untravelled portion of joumey. 15. Refund of certain fare on failure to provide air- conditioning facility in air-conditioned coaches :- (1) Where the air-conditioning facility could not be provided for a portion ofjoumey, refund on tickets issued for air-conditioned coaches shall be granted for such portion on the following basis, namely:- (a) if the ticket is for air-conditioned first class, the difference between the air-conditioned first class fare and first class fare; (b) if the ticket is for air-conditioned sleeper/air-conditioned 3- tier sleeper class, the difference between air-conditioned sleeper/air- conditioned 3-tier sleeper class fare and sleeper class fare (Mail and Express); (c) if the ticket is for air-conditioned chair car, the difference between air-conditioned chair car fare and second class fare (Mail and Express); (d) if the ticket is for executive class, the difference between the notified executive class fare for the concerned section and the first class fare (Mail and Express) for the concerned distance of that section. (2) The refund of difference of fare under sub-rule (1) shall be granted at the destination station on production of the ticket alongwith a certificate from the conductor or the guard or the travelling ticket examiner of the train giving particulars of the ticket, number of the coach and stations between which the air- conditioning facility was not provided, and is presented within twenty hours of arrival of the train. 16. When passengers are made to travel in lower class for want of accommodation :- If the ticket holder of a higher class is made to travel in a lower class for want of accommodation in the class for which the ticket was issued, refund of the difference between the fare paid and the fare payable for the class in which it is actually used shall be granted at the destination station or at the originating station, as the case may be: Provided that refund shall be granted at the destination station only on production of a certificate from the conductor or the guard or the travelling ticket examiner of the train certifying that the holder of the ticket had to travel in a lower class for want of accommodation in the class for which it was issued and the ticket is presented within twenty hours of the arrival of the train in the destination station. 17. Lost, misplaced, torn or mutilated tickets :- (1) No refund of fare in respect of a lost or misplaced ticket shall be granted. (2) Refund of fare shall be granted in respect of a torn or mutilated ticket if its genuineness and authenticity are verifiable on the basis of the particulars visible on the face of the ticket. (3) (i) If the reservation status of a lost, misplaced, torn or mutilated ticket, at the time of receipt of the application for issuance of a duplicate ticket for the purpose of undertaking journey, is reserved of RAC and that the duplicate ticket is sought before preparation of reservation chart of the concerned train, the station master shall issue a duplicate ticket in lieu of the original ticket on collection of charges at the following rates, namely:- (a) Twenty five per cent, of the total fare, in the case of ticket for journey upto Five hundred Kilometres: (b) Ten per cent of the total fare, in the case of ticket for journey more than Five Hundred Kilometres, subject to a minimum recovery of Twenty five per cent, of total charges for reserved or RAC ticket of Five hundred Kilometres; and (c) Twenty five per cent. of total fare, irrespective of distance for tickets of trains which have separate all-inclusive fare structure. (ii) If a duplicate ticket in lieu of a lost or misplaced reserved ticket is sought after preparation of reservation charge of the concerned train, it shall be issued on collection of a charge equivalent to fifty per cent. of the total fare. Duplicate tickets shall, however, not be issued in respect of RAC tickets after preparation of reservation chart of the concerned train. (iii) If duplicate ticket in lieu of a torn or mutilated reserved or RAC ticket is sought after preparation or reservation chart of the concerned train, it shall be issued on collection of a charge equivalent to Twenty five per cent of the total fare, (iv) A duplicate ticket in respect of a party coach ticket or a special train ticket, shall be issued upto the time of departure of the train, on collection of a charge equivalent to ten per cent of the total fare. (4) (i) No refund shall be granted in respect of charges collected under sub-rule (3) except in cases where the lost or misplaced ticket is traced after the issuance of a duplicate ticket and presented alongwith the duplicate ticket before departure of the train. (ii) The charges collected towards the issuance of duplicate ticket shall be refunded after deducting five per cent. thereof subject to a minimum deduction or rupees twenty. In case the journey is also not undertaken, the cancellation charges on the original ticket shall be determined as provided under these rules. (iii) If the passenger, who has excess charges in the train on account of his reserved ticket or RAC ticket being lost, misplaced, torn or mutilated, makes an application to a railway administration for grant of refund of the charges paid in train, the Chief Commercial Manager (Refunds) of that Railway administration may, after making such enquiry as he may deem necessary, grant refund of total charges realised in the train, after retaining the cancellation charges at fifty per cent. of the single journey ticket fare per passenger provided that no one has taken refund earlier on the original ticket. 18. Wait-listed passengers or concession and privilege ticket order tickets :- When any person has purchased a ticket on any concessional order or privilege ticket order, and is wait-listed for reservation in any train, he shall be entitled to avail of the same ticket for reservation in any other train on the same date or any other date, without losing the benefit of concessional fare, 19. Unused portion of return tickets :- (1) No refund shall be granted on the unused portion of the concessional return tickets. (2) When a return ticket is issued without any concession, it shall be treated like two single journey tickets and the refund shall be granted accordingly. 20. Refund of fare on unused tickets and freight realised on luggage tickets in respect of luggage booked on the same ticket in case the journey is not under taken :- (1) Refund of freight on luggage shall be granted by the station master as under: (a) Luggage is withdrawn Luggage ticket shall be cancelled and freight already at starting station collected shall be refunded after recovery of wharfage charges, if any, and deduction of cancellation charge of rupees five per luggage ticket. Journey ticket shall be endorsed to the effect. (b) Luggage already Freight charges on weight admissible as free allowance despatched from the shall be collected and remarks to his effect endorsed on starting station journey ticket. (2) On production of journey ticket on which luggage has been booked, the fare shall be refunded only if bearing the endorsement referred to in sub-rule (1) of the unsued ticket after deducting the cancellation charges or clerkage as per rules. 21. Application for refund in other circumstances :- For refund the fare under circumstances other than those specified in these rules or where refund is not admissible or granted at the station on account of expiry of time limits prescribed under these rules or otherwise, a Ticket Deposit Receipt shall be issued to the passenger in lieu of the surrendered ticket, at the station where ticket has been surrendered and the passenger may apply for refund, within ninety days from the day of commencement of journey, to the Chief Commercial Manager (Refunds) of the railway administration under whose jurisdiction the Ticket Deposit Receipt issuing station comes, enclosing the original Ticket Deposit Receipt. Ticket Deposit Receipt shall be issued only upto thirty days after the scheduled departure of the train. [Noti. No. TCII/2003/98/Rules, dt. 24.7.98-Gaz. of India. Exty., Pt. II-Sec. 3(i). No. 271, dt. 24.7.98, p. 6.]