Indian Railways's new ticket cancelation, refund rules from April 2026
Indian Railways is rolling out new ticket cancelation and refund rules starting April 2026, mainly to stop last-minute cancelations and agent misuse.
Now, you'll receive the maximum refund only if you cancel more than 72 hours before your train leaves (previous cutoff was 48 hours).
But heads up, the no-refund window kicks in eight hours before departure, not four like before.
What about partial refunds?
Partial refund amounts are being tweaked too, so expect changes in how much you get back if you cancel late.
RAC and Tatkal ticket rules aren't changing: confirmed Tatkal tickets still won't get refunds, while waitlisted or contingent ones follow the current deduction policy.
For RAC e-tickets, make sure to cancel or file a TDR online at least 30 minutes before your train leaves if you want a refund.