Indian Railways has introduced significantly stricter ticket cancellation and refund rules for its premium Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat train services, affecting passengers with confirmed bookings. Under the revised policy, confirmed tickets cancelled within eight hours of the scheduled departure will attract zero refund, a departure from earlier norms and from the refund provisions that apply to ordinary mail and express services. The changes, notified by the Railway Ministry, aim to reduce last-minute cancellations, improve seat utilisation and streamline operations across these high-demand routes.
New Cancellation & Refund Structure
Under the updated rules, passengers holding confirmed seats on Vande Bharat Sleeper Express and Amrit Bharat II trains will not receive any refund if they cancel their tickets less than eight hours before the train’s scheduled departure. This contrasts sharply with the refund window on regular trains, where passengers can still claim partial refunds up to four hours before departure, albeit with cancellation charges deducted. The eight-hour rule applies uniformly to all classes on these premium services, meaning late cancellations will result in the entire fare being forfeited.
For cancellations made more than 72 hours before departure, a 25 per cent cancellation charge applies, while cancellations between 72 and eight hours before departure incur a 50 per cent charge, with the remainder refunded. These revised slabs replace the more lenient charges previously in place for long-distance trains.
Why The Rules Have Changed
Railway officials say the new regulations have been introduced to discourage passengers from altering travel plans at the last minute on services where berths are fully confirmed at the time of booking. Unlike traditional trains, which may offer Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) or waiting list options, Vande Bharat Sleeper and Amrit Bharat II trains guarantee confirmed accommodation for every passenger at the time of booking. Stricter cancellation rules are intended to protect revenue on these high-utility services and ensure that scarce seats are utilised effectively.
Passengers are advised to finalise their travel plans before booking tickets on these services and to be aware that no refund will be granted if a confirmed ticket is cancelled too close to departure.
