Indian Railways carries millions of passengers daily from one city to another. Due to its affordability, convenience and safety, most people prefer trains over other modes of transport. However, rising demand has led to seats getting fully booked well in advance on many routes, often leaving passengers with waiting-list tickets.
In several cases, a waiting ticket is converted into an RAC ticket after the reservation chart is prepared. RAC stands for “Reservation Against Cancellation,” which means a partial seat. Under this system, two passengers are required to share a single berth. Many travellers are uncomfortable with this arrangement, leading to a common question: Is a refund available if an RAC ticket is cancelled after chart preparation?
Rules For Cancelling RAC Ticket
If your ticket remains in RAC status after the chart is prepared and you decide not to travel, Indian Railways allows you to cancel the ticket and claim a refund. As per railway rules, the ticket must be cancelled at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train, or a TDR (Ticket Deposit Receipt) must be filed.
A TDR is an online request through which passengers inform the railways that they did not undertake the journey and seek a refund. If the TDR is filed within the prescribed time limit, the refund is processed after applicable deductions, in line with railway norms.
When Will You Not Get A Refund?
If the passenger neither cancels the ticket in time nor files a TDR, no refund is granted. Timely action is therefore crucial. To file a TDR, passengers need to log in to the IRCTC website or mobile app, go to the “Booked Ticket History” section, select the ticket and submit the TDR request.
The entire process is online and does not take much time. Indian Railways continues to upgrade its systems to reduce passenger inconvenience. Having accurate information helps travellers avoid losses and ensures they can claim refunds when eligible.
