Indian Railways has changed the rules related to ticket cancellation for Vande Bharat Sleeper trains. Passengers traveling on these trains will now have to pay higher charges for ticket cancellations.

Recently, PM Modi flagged off the country's first Vande Bharat Sleeper train. This train, running between Howrah in West Bengal and Guwahati in Assam, will complete the journey in 14 hours. The rules regarding Vande Bharat train tickets and concessions are different from those of other trains. Indian Railways has made significant changes to the rules related to ticket cancellation and refunds for the new Vande Bharat Sleeper trains. Passengers traveling on these premium trains will now have to pay higher charges for ticket cancellations compared to before. According to the new railway rules, passengers will not receive a full refund if they do not cancel their tickets within the stipulated time frame, and in some cases, there will be no refund at all.

How much money will be deducted for ticket cancellation now?

According to the new guidelines issued by the railways, different charges have been fixed for canceling confirmed Vande Bharat Sleeper train tickets at different time intervals. Now, if a passenger cancels a ticket at any time after purchasing it, at least 25 percent of the amount will be deducted. If the ticket is canceled between 72 hours and 8 hours before the scheduled departure time of the train, 50 percent of the fare will be deducted. The strictest rule is that if the ticket is canceled less than 8 hours before the train's departure, passengers will not receive any refund.

Why were the rules changed?

According to railway officials, these new rules have been implemented because the reservation chart for Vande Bharat Sleeper trains will now be prepared 8 hours before the train's departure. Earlier, this process was done 4 hours in advance. Considering this change, the cancellation policy has also been made stricter.

How are these rules different from other trains? The cancellation rules for Vande Bharat sleeper trains are significantly different from those of other trains and the existing Vande Bharat chair car trains. In regular trains, a flat charge is levied for canceling tickets before the scheduled departure time. For example, the charge is ₹240 for First AC, ₹200 for Second AC, ₹180 for Third AC, ₹120 for Sleeper class, and ₹60 for Second Class. However, in Vande Bharat sleeper trains, instead of a flat charge, a percentage-based deduction will be applied, which could place a greater financial burden on passengers.

No RAC facility

The Railway Board has also clarified that only confirmed tickets will be issued for Vande Bharat sleeper trains. This means there will be no RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) facility available on these trains. This is why the ticket cancellation rules have been made stricter. Furthermore, only a few select quotas will be applicable on the new Vande Bharat sleeper trains. These include quotas for women, differently-abled passengers, senior citizens, and those traveling on duty passes. No other type of reservation will be applicable. Additionally, the minimum chargeable distance for these trains has been set at 400 kilometers.