New Rules for Cancellation and Refund of Railway Tickets

Under normal circumstances no refund is granted on confirmed, RAC and Waitlisted tickets after the departure of the train.

With effect from 12.11.2015, certain provisions of Railway Passengers (Cancellation of tickets and refund of fare) Rules have been amended and comprehensive Railway Passengers (Cancellation of tickets and refund of fare) Rules 2015 have been notified through Gazette Notification G.S.R. 836(E). dated 04.11.2015.

Important changes made in Railway Passengers (Cancellation of tickets and refund of fare) Rules are as under:-

Refund on cancellation of unused confirmed tickets:

(i) If confirmed ticket is presented for cancellation upto 48 hours before the scheduled departure of the train, per passenger minimum cancellation charge is levied

. (ii). If confirmed ticket is presented for cancellation between 48 hours and upto 12 hours before the scheduled departure of the train, 25% cancellation charges is levied subject to minimum flat cancellation charge.

(iii) If confirmed ticket is presented for cancellation between 12 hours and upto 4 hours before the scheduled departure of the train irrespective of distance, 50% cancellation charge is levied subject to minimum flat cancellation charge.

(iv). Refund on confirmed ticket is granted only upto 4 hours before the scheduled departure of the train.

(B). Refund on cancellation of unused RAC/Wait-listed tickets/Partially confirmed tickets:-

(i). When RAC/Waitlisted ticket/Partially confirmed tickets is presented for cancellation, the refund of fare minus clerkage charge is made upto 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train.

Certain provisions of Railway Passengers (Cancellation of tickets and refund of fare) Rules have been amended to check bogus claims, to facilitate provision of Mobile ticketing as well as paperless ticketing, discourage last minute cancellation resulting in seats/berths going vacant etc. The amendment in refund rules became necessary to adapt to changes/developments in the ticketing systems.

Further, reservation charts are being prepared at least 4 hours in advance, which facilitates purchase of available berths till 30 minutes before departure of the train.

No cancellation charge or clerkage charges is levied and full fare is refunded to all passengers holding confirmed, RAC and Wait-listed tickets if the journey is not undertaken due to late running of the train by more than three hours of scheduled departure of the train from the journey commencing station, subject to the condition that the ticket is surrendered prior to the actual departure of the train

This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 11.12.2015.

Source: PIB News

Railways launches RuPay pre-paid debit card service

 

Railway passengers can now book their tickets, do shopping and pay service bills using RuPay pre-paid cards, as the IRCTC launched the debit card service here today. 

The service was launched by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in collaboration with the Union Bank of India and the National Payment Corporation of India.

"It is a union with your bank for customers' interest," Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said here while launching the IRCTC-UBI RuPay pre-paid card. 

RuPay is India's own card payment gateway network like Visa and Master Card, and provides an alternative system for banks to provide a debit card service. 

Prabhu said Railways is partnering with banks and financial institutions to promote passengers' interest. 

"It is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's financial inclusive programme as one does not need to have a bank account in UBI to have the card and you can avail it online also," Prabhu said. 

IRCTC Chairman and Managing Director A K Manocha said the card is a first-of-its-kind in the market as both virtual as well as physical cards are being issued to customers in two variants. 

Cards can be made available from UBI offices or through IRCTC online. Initially the service will be available for booking tickets and later on shopping and bill payments will be added. 

UBI CMD Arun Tiwari said "the card holder will get free Rs 1 lakh accident insurance coverage as part of the benefits to customers." 

In order to make the card attractive, reward points will be given on each transaction. 

One can have the card with a loading limit of Rs 10,000 with partial "Know Your Customer" (KYC) detail or Rs 50,000 loading limit with full KYC. 

Manocha said the first five transactions per card every month done on IRCTC for purchase of train tickets will be free and no transaction charges will be levied to customers for six months only. 

For every subsequent transaction post the free usage, customer will be charged Rs 10 per transaction. 

The transaction charge would be Rs 10 per ticket for booking a ticket through the card on the IRCTC portal. 

IRCTC had signed an MoU with UBI for executing the RuPay card project.

Source : The Economic Times

Reservation Facilities Provided to Senior Citizen and Female Passengers Including Pregnant Women

With a view to facilitating provisions of lower berths to senior citizens and female passengers, following facilities are available:-

(i)                  There is a provision in the computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) to allot lower berth automatically to male passengers above the age of 60 years and female passengers above the age of 45 years subject to availability of the same at the time of booking of ticket.

(ii)                 A combined reservation quota of two lower berths per coach is earmarked in Sleeper, AC 3Tier and AC 2Tier for following category of passengers when travelling alone:

  

a.       Senior citizens;

b.      Female passengers 45 years of age and above; and

c.       Pregnant women.

(iii)               Instructions are also there to assist senior citizens and physically handicapped persons who have been allotted middle/upper berths by allotting them vacant lower berths available in the train by the ticket checking staff on first come first served basis (after making necessary entry in the reservation chart).

(iv)              A six berths compartment in Sleeper Class is also earmarked in long distance Mail/Express trains for female passengers.

(v)                It has now been decided that:-

·        The existing combined quota of  two lower berths per coach in Sleeper class earmarked for senior citizens, female passengers 45 years of age and above and pregnant women (when travelling alone) may be enhanced to four lower berths per coach.  There will, however, be no change in this quota being earmarked in 3A and 2A classes.

·        The scope of instructions regarding assisting senior citizens and physically handicapped persons in getting lower berths in the train has been expanded to include pregnant women also.  Hence, onboard ticket checking staff are now authorised to allot vacant lower berths available in the train to senior citizens, physically handicapped persons and pregnant women (who have been allotted middle/upper berths), on approach, on first come first served basis after making necessary entry in the chart.

·        It has also been decided that the existing reservation quota of six berths for female passengers being earmarked in long distance Mail/Express trains should be in the middle of the coach and also to the extent feasible, the senior citizen quota should be earmarked in the middle of the coach.

AKS/HK/KD/RV

Source : PIB

Restriction on Login for Booking of Train e-Tickets

Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Ministry of Railways

23-March-2015 16:52 IST

Restriction on Login for Booking of Train e-Tickets

The Ministry of Railways has decided that in case of e-ticketing, there will be a restriction of only one booking in one user login session and forced logging out of the user before another booking for all users including IRCTC agents but excluding defence booking under warrant only.

This restriction will be applicable while booking of e-ticket between 0800 and 1200 hours. However, this restriction will not be applicable while booking onward journey/return journey e-tickets.

Revision of Platform Ticket Rates at Railway Stations

Press Information Bureau 

Government of India

Ministry of Railways 

23-March-2015 14:58 IST

Revision of Platform Ticket Rates at Railway Stations 

The Ministry of Railways has decided to upwardly revise the rate of platform ticket to Rs.10/- per ticket from Rs.5/- per ticket. The revised rate of platform ticket will be charged on platform ticket to be issued from 01.04.2015. 

Directions have been sent to All Zonal Railways to print the revised tickets on top priority and ensure supply to all stations well in time. However, till such time the tickets are printed, the existing stock of tickets may be used with the rate corrected with a stamp. Wherever platform tickets are issued through SPTM & UTS or other machines, their software may to be modified to collect the revised rate. 

Further, the Ministry of Railways has delegated the power to Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs) to increase the rate of platform tickets beyond Rs.10/- to regulate rush at platforms during specific requirements like mela, rally etc. 

Source: PIB News

‘Go India’ Smart Card for Train Tickets

‘Go-India’ smart card scheme has been launched on pilot basis on two sectors i.e. New Delhi-Mumbai and New Delhi-Howrah. At present, the Go-India smart card enables passengers to pay for reserved and unreserved tickets. The smart card can be used at nominated Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS)/Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters and at Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) on these two sectors for issuing tickets. The salient features of the Go-India smart card are as under: 

Initially, the card can be get issued by paying minimum Rs.70/- where passenger will get Rs.20/- balance.After that, card can be recharged for Rs.20/- or in multiple of Rs.50/- upto Rs. 5000/-.

Maximum limit on Go-India smart card is Rs.10,000/-.

Go-India smart card has life time validity. In case of no usage in six months from the date of last transaction, smart card will be temporarily deactivated which can be activated again by paying Rs.50/- as activation fee.

The scheme is intended to reduce the transaction time at the booking counters for the convenience of passengers as it facilitates cashless transaction.             

This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

Booking of Retiring Rooms through railtourismindia website now...

Press Information Bureau Government of India Ministry of Railways 21-May-2014 14:21 IST Computerised Booking of Retiring Rooms on Indian Railways Indian Railways provides lodging facility through retiring rooms to its passengers at stations spread across the country. The Retiring Room Application has been developed to computerize the booking of retiring rooms at the railway stations. At present, booking of retiring rooms has been computerized at 67 stations. The Rooms can be booked on computer terminals placed at these stations as well as on internet through the website www.railtourismindia.com. Currently, booking / cancellation, up-gradation and extension are available in the retiring room application. Some of the basic features of retiring room application are given below:- •         The Rooms can be booked in advance (up to 60 days) through internet as well as on terminals at stations, •         Based on the booked PRS ticket PNR No. at the Source and Destination stations. •         The facility of booking of retiring room is available only on Confirmed and RAC tickets. •         The Rooms can be booked  2 days in advance based on UTS tickets, Railway Passes and other travel authorities only on terminals at stations. The list of computerised Retiring Room locations for bookings through internet and terminals is given in Annexure-I. Annexure S.No. Location Code Location Name 1 ADI AHMEDABAD JN 2 ALD ALLAHABAD JN 3 AME AMETHI 4 ASR AMRITSAR JN 5 BBS BHUBANESWAR 6 BCT MUMBAI CENTRAL 7 BDTS BANDRA TERMINUS 8 BJU BARAUNI JN 9 BPL BHOPAL JN 10 BRC VADODARA JN 11 BSB VARANASI JN 12 BTE BHARATPUR 13 CBE COIMBATORE JN 14 COR CHITTAURGARH 15 CSTM MUMBAI CST 16 DBG DARBHANGA JN 17 DHN DHANBAD JN 18 DNR DANAPUR 19 ET ITARSI JN 20 GAYA GAYA JN 21 GR GULBARGA 22 HBJ HABIBGANJ 23 HJP HAJIPUR JN 24 HW HARIDWAR JN 25 HWH HOWRAH JN 26 INDB INDORE JN 27 JAT JAMMU TAWI 28 JBP JABALPUR 29 KOTA KOTA JN 30 KQR KODERMA 31 KTE KATNI 32 KYN KALYAN JN 33 LKO LUCKNOW NR 34 LTT LOKMANYATILAK T 35 MAS CHENNAI CENTRAL 36 MDU MADURAI JN 37 MFP MUZAFFARPUR JN 38 MGS MUGHAL SARAI JN 39 MRJ MIRAJ JN 40 MS CHENNAI EGMORE 41 NDLS NEW DELHI 42 NGP NAGPUR 43 NK NASIK ROAD 44 PNBE PATNA JN 45 PUNE PUNE JN 46 PURI PURI 47 RBL RAE BARELI JN 48 RJPB RJNDR NGR BIHAR 49 RJT RAJKOT JN 50 RMM RAMESWARAM 51 RTM RATLAM JN 52 RXL RAXAUL JN 53 SBC BANGALORE CY JN 54 SC SECUNDERABAD JN 55 SML SIMLA 56 STA SATNA 57 SUR SOLAPUR JN 58 SWM SAWAI MADHOPUR 59 TNA THANE 60 UJN UJJAIN JN 61 VSKP VISHAKAPATNAM 62 BSP BILASPUR JN 63 R RAIPUR JN 64 G GONDIA JN 65 SGO SAUGOR 66 MYR MAIHAR 67 SMBJ SHRI MAHABIRJI FOUNDER OF 'CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES NEWS' TITLE AND KEYWORD...No.1 BLOG FOR CENTRAL GOVT EMPLOYEES AND PENSIONERS...!