6:42 PM
COIMBATORE: The railways has some bittersweet news for passengers. While it doubled ticket cancellation charges, it reduced the deadline to cancel waitlisted and reservation against cancellation (RAC) tickets to half an hour prior to departure of the train. The changes, which were announced earlier, came to effect on Thursday.
The railway has said the move is to make cancellations more convenient to passengers and end blackmarketing of tickets by touts.
From Thursday onwards, passengers who cancel their tickets even 48 hours prior to departure will lose anywhere between Rs 120 to Rs 300 per ticket. This is against the earlier cancellation charges of Rs 60 to Rs 150 per ticket.
"While clerkage levied for cancellation has been raised from Rs 30 to Rs 60 for any reserved class, cancellation charges have gone up from Rs 120 to Rs 240 for first airconditioned executive class, Rs 100 to Rs 200 for second class airconditioned coaches, Rs 90 to Rs 180 for third class AC coaches and Rs 30 to Rs 60 for second class tickets," stated the press release from the railways.
Even clerkage charges for cancellation of unreserved tickets has gone up from Rs 15 to Rs 30. "This move is to discourage bulk booking by travel agents and touts who try to sell it in the black market for higher charges or just casually cancel them if there are no takers," a spokesperson of the Salem railway division.
Earlier any cancellation done between 48 hours and six hours before departure would only result in loss of 25% of the ticket cost. Now to get back at least 75% of the ticket cost, a passenger has to cancel the ticket between 48 hours and 12 hours before departure.
The timeline to get back at least 50% of the ticket charge has also been reduced from 12 hours to four hours before departure, compared to the earlier 12 hours to two hours before departure. "This is because we have now begun preparing the train charts four hours before departure compared to the earlier two hours before departure. So we need a final list of cancellations by then," said the spokesperson.
In case of a family or group has only got a partial confirmation of their tickets, they would need to cancel their tickets half an hour before departure. However, waitlisted and RAC tickets which had to be cancelled three hours before a train's departure for a full refund can now be done even half an hour before the train's departure.
The railway has said the move is to make cancellations more convenient to passengers and end blackmarketing of tickets by touts.
From Thursday onwards, passengers who cancel their tickets even 48 hours prior to departure will lose anywhere between Rs 120 to Rs 300 per ticket. This is against the earlier cancellation charges of Rs 60 to Rs 150 per ticket.
"While clerkage levied for cancellation has been raised from Rs 30 to Rs 60 for any reserved class, cancellation charges have gone up from Rs 120 to Rs 240 for first airconditioned executive class, Rs 100 to Rs 200 for second class airconditioned coaches, Rs 90 to Rs 180 for third class AC coaches and Rs 30 to Rs 60 for second class tickets," stated the press release from the railways.
Even clerkage charges for cancellation of unreserved tickets has gone up from Rs 15 to Rs 30. "This move is to discourage bulk booking by travel agents and touts who try to sell it in the black market for higher charges or just casually cancel them if there are no takers," a spokesperson of the Salem railway division.
Earlier any cancellation done between 48 hours and six hours before departure would only result in loss of 25% of the ticket cost. Now to get back at least 75% of the ticket cost, a passenger has to cancel the ticket between 48 hours and 12 hours before departure.
The timeline to get back at least 50% of the ticket charge has also been reduced from 12 hours to four hours before departure, compared to the earlier 12 hours to two hours before departure. "This is because we have now begun preparing the train charts four hours before departure compared to the earlier two hours before departure. So we need a final list of cancellations by then," said the spokesperson.
In case of a family or group has only got a partial confirmation of their tickets, they would need to cancel their tickets half an hour before departure. However, waitlisted and RAC tickets which had to be cancelled three hours before a train's departure for a full refund can now be done even half an hour before the train's departure.
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