The estimate depends on the fare per passenger, number of travellers, class, current reservation status, quota and the time before scheduled departure. Additional taxes, fees and exceptional claims may change the actual credit.
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Want to know how much refund you will get after cancelling your train ticket? Use the RailAI IRCTC Refund Calculator to estimate Indian Railway ticket cancellation charges and the refundable amount based on your ticket details.
Planning estimates only. This calculator does not check live refund status or process refunds.
Your refund breakdown will appear here
Enter your fare and ticket details to compare potential deductions and refunds. No personal information required.
RailAI is independent of IRCTC and Indian Railways. This is not a live refund eligibility or bank-credit checker.
Check the policy
Under the Indian Railways refund rules revised in 2026, ordinary confirmed tickets have different cancellation deductions depending on whether they are cancelled more than 72 hours, between 72 and 24 hours, between 24 and 8 hours, or less than 8 hours before scheduled train departure.
Indian Railways introduced revised confirmed-ticket cancellation windows in March 2026, moving the previous 48-hour, 12-hour and 4-hour thresholds to 72 hours, 24 hours and 8 hours respectively. For ordinary confirmed railway tickets, the cancellation rules are summarized below.
| Time before scheduled departure | Cancellation deduction |
|---|---|
| More than 72 hours | Minimum flat cancellation charge |
| 72 to 24 hours | 25% of fare, subject to the applicable minimum charge |
| 24 to 8 hours | 50% of fare, subject to the applicable minimum charge |
| Less than 8 hours | No ordinary cancellation refund |
These windows apply to ordinary confirmed-ticket cancellations. Tatkal, RAC, waiting-list, cancelled-train and other special circumstances may follow different rules.
The most important change is that passengers must cancel ordinary confirmed reservations earlier to qualify for the more favourable cancellation deduction. Under the revised windows:
Indian Railway ticket cancellation charges also depend on the reservation class and number of passengers. The standard published minimum cancellation charges per passenger are:
Applicable GST may be added to cancellation charges for AC classes. These are minimum flat charges, not the deduction for every cancellation; depending on the cancellation window, the percentage-based charge may be higher. The calculator applies the minimum charge per passenger and the relevant percentage rule, and leaves taxes and separately collected fees out of the estimate.
For time-sensitive refunds, also consult IRCTC refund and cancellation rules and the terms shown with your booking.
Know before cancelling
Confirmed, RAC and waiting-list reservations have distinct treatment. Confirmed Tatkal cancellation usually has no fare refund.
The cancellation time relative to scheduled departure (72, 24 and 8 hours for ordinary confirmed tickets) and chart preparation affect eligibility and whether a TDR may be needed.
Convenience fees, GST, mixed passenger statuses, train cancellations and special train services can change the final refund.
Using the tool
The RailAI Train Ticket Refund Calculator is designed to make railway cancellation calculations easier to understand. It helps you see potential deductions before you cancel, whether you hold a confirmed, RAC or waiting-list ticket or want to understand Tatkal refunds, chart preparation and TDR claims. Follow these steps:
For scenarios involving a cancelled train, a failed transaction or a TDR claim, follow the relevant special-case guidance below rather than applying ordinary cancellation percentages.
This makes it easier to understand the result instead of receiving only a refund amount.
Worked examples
The amount you receive depends on the type of ticket, eligible fare, travel class, number of passengers, and cancellation timing.
Suppose your eligible Sleeper Class ticket fare is ₹600 for one passenger.
If you cancel more than 72 hours before departure, the minimum Sleeper Class cancellation charge of ₹120 generally applies.
Any additional non-refundable booking fees remain separate.
Estimated fare refund: ₹600 − ₹120 = ₹480
Suppose the eligible train fare is ₹2,000 for one passenger.
Under the revised 72-to-24-hour window, a 25% fare deduction applies, subject to the minimum charge.
Cancellation charge: ₹500.
Estimated fare refund: ₹1,500, before any other applicable adjustments.
Suppose the eligible fare is ₹1,000.
The cancellation falls within the 24-to-8-hour window, so a 50% deduction generally applies.
Cancellation charge: ₹500.
Estimated fare refund: ₹500, excluding other adjustments.
Under the ordinary confirmed-ticket refund rule, no fare refund is generally available for cancellations made within the final eight hours.
Special railway refund circumstances may be treated differently.
Estimated fare refund: ₹0 under the ordinary rule.
These examples are illustrative calculations, not guaranteed settlement amounts.
Ticket types
A confirmed train ticket means a reservation has been allotted against an eligible railway booking. Passengers with confirmed tickets may receive a partial refund when cancellation is completed within the applicable rules and deadlines.
The deduction generally increases as the train's scheduled departure approaches. A passenger cancelling an ordinary confirmed ticket more than 72 hours in advance would normally face a lower deduction than one cancelling between 24 and 8 hours before departure.
Confirmed Tatkal tickets are different and ordinarily do not qualify for a refund on voluntary cancellation.
RAC stands for Reservation Against Cancellation. A RAC ticket permits travel under the applicable railway conditions, but its cancellation and refund treatment is different from an ordinary confirmed ticket.
RAC refunds generally involve a clerkage deduction when cancelled within the applicable deadline. The standard published clerkage charge is ₹60 per passenger (plus applicable GST for AC classes), for ordinary cancellations made up to 30 minutes before scheduled departure, subject to current railway rules.
Because the deadline and treatment differ from the revised ordinary confirmed-ticket windows, do not calculate a RAC refund using the 72/24/8-hour confirmed-ticket slabs. If a booking is partly confirmed and partly RAC, use the rules appropriate to the combination of passenger statuses.
Waiting-list tickets have special cancellation and refund provisions. The amount refunded depends on whether the ticket is still waitlisted, partly confirmed, or fully waitlisted after reservation chart preparation.
If every passenger on an IRCTC e-ticket remains waitlisted after the relevant chart is prepared, the booking is normally dropped from the reservation chart. The passenger cannot use that fully waitlisted e-ticket to board the train, and the eligible refund is processed automatically after applicable deductions.
If your ticket becomes confirmed, the applicable confirmed-ticket cancellation conditions may become relevant. Check the latest reservation status before estimating the deduction.
A booking containing both confirmed and waitlisted passengers may need different treatment from a fully waitlisted e-ticket, and railway rules set particular procedures for partially confirmed group bookings. This calculator applies one status to all the passengers you enter, so for a mixed booking calculate each status group separately.
Tatkal tickets are subject to a different refund policy from ordinary railway reservations.
Ordinarily, no refund is granted for voluntary cancellation of a confirmed Tatkal ticket. However, certain specified railway circumstances may provide different refund entitlements.
RAC and waitlisted Tatkal bookings can be subject to the applicable railway cancellation and clerkage rules. The final deduction depends on the booking status and circumstances.
Premium Tatkal uses dynamic pricing and has its own booking and cancellation restrictions. Voluntary cancellation of a confirmed Premium Tatkal ticket ordinarily does not qualify for a refund. The calculator offers a Tatkal quota option; select Tatkal with Confirmed status to see the no-refund result.
Special cases
Chart preparation is an important stage in the Indian Railway reservation process. Once the reservation chart has been prepared, ordinary online ticket cancellation options may change, so passengers searching for cancellation after chart preparation should check the cancellation or claim process currently available for their booking.
Historically, IRCTC required online Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) filing for eligible e-ticket refund claims after chart preparation. In March 2026, Indian Railways also announced simplified cancellation and refund arrangements intended to reduce TDR requirements and enable more automatic refunds. Because official IRCTC help pages may still describe older procedures, follow the latest options presented in your booking account.
To see when reservation charts are usually prepared for your train, use the RailAI chart preparation time tool.
It depends on the ticket status, reason for cancellation, time remaining before departure and any special refund provisions. A prepared chart does not automatically mean that every passenger qualifies for a refund.
A TDR may remain relevant for certain types of exceptional refund claims, depending on the current procedure. Use the official IRCTC booking interface to check whether cancellation, automatic processing or a specific claim route applies.
TDR stands for Ticket Deposit Receipt. It is a mechanism associated with eligible railway refund claims that cannot be resolved through ordinary ticket cancellation. A TDR claim may be relevant in specified circumstances involving train disruptions, non-travel or other eligible situations.
Where the current IRCTC system requires TDR filing:
TDR submission does not automatically guarantee approval. The concerned railway authority determines eligibility under the applicable rules.
There is no single TDR deadline for every refund reason. For example, claims involving non-travel because of a train delay may have different requirements from claims involving partial accommodation or service disruption. Check the claim-specific instructions shown for your booking.
If Indian Railways officially cancels a train, refund treatment differs from voluntary ticket cancellation. For qualifying IRCTC e-tickets on trains officially marked as cancelled, the eligible fare refund is generally processed automatically. Check the official train status and the refund record for your booking.
Normal voluntary cancellation deductions should not automatically be applied to an eligible railway-cancelled train. For counter tickets or other booking channels, the applicable claim process may differ.
Passengers may qualify for a full fare refund when a train is running more than three hours late and they choose not to travel, subject to the applicable conditions. Historically, IRCTC required eligible passengers to submit the appropriate TDR claim before the train's actual departure. Because operational and refund procedures have been updated, confirm the currently prescribed claim method and deadline. This refund category is separate from voluntary cancellation.
Your scheduled train departure is 6:00 PM, but the train is expected to depart after 9:00 PM. If the official delay exceeds three hours and you do not undertake the journey, you may qualify under the applicable delay-related refund provisions.
After you cancel
An IRCTC failed transaction occurs when a ticket is not successfully issued despite an attempted payment. For example, money may be debited from your bank account or UPI application even though no railway ticket is generated. This is different from cancelling a successfully booked train ticket.
The unsuccessful transaction is ordinarily reviewed through the payment and booking reconciliation process. If the ticket was not issued and a refund is due, the money is returned according to the applicable transaction process.
There is no guaranteed universal settlement time for every failed booking. Refund timing can depend on the payment gateway, bank, payment method, reconciliation and non-working days.
Follow these steps:
After cancelling an eligible ticket, passengers often want to know whether their refund has been initiated, processed or credited. The official IRCTC system provides transaction history and refund tracking facilities for eligible bookings.
Follow these steps:
If a refund is processed by IRCTC but not visible in your bank account, the payment provider may still be completing the credit.
Your PNR helps identify the railway reservation, but refund tracking may also require the original booking account or transaction details. A PNR enquiry is not a substitute for the official refund transaction record.
Refund time depends on the refund category and payment method. Ordinary eligible e-ticket cancellations, failed payment transactions, TDR claims and railway-disruption refunds do not necessarily follow the same processing schedule. The actual timeline can depend on:
IRCTC does not guarantee one fixed refund credit time for all payment channels. This calculator estimates the amount only; it cannot promise a bank credit date because it has no access to your transaction status.
Cancelling and fees
For an eligible e-ticket where the cancellation option is available:
The available cancellation options and deadlines depend on ticket status and current railway rules. For a partial cancellation, verify that the remaining passengers' reservation details are correctly updated.
Sometimes a single PNR contains multiple passengers, but only one or two people want to cancel. This is known as partial cancellation. The eligible deduction may depend on the fare, class, quota and individual booking status of each cancelled passenger.
For example, a family booking may contain two confirmed passengers, one RAC passenger and one waiting-list passenger. A single generic deduction should not be applied to all four.
This calculator applies one status, class and quota to every passenger entered. For a mixed booking, run it once for each group of passengers with the same status and add the results.
IRCTC's published terms state that the convenience fee collected for successful e-ticket bookings is non-refundable. Other payment gateway, platform or service fees may also be excluded from the fare refund, depending on their terms.
The original payment may contain more than the eligible railway fare, such as:
Therefore, the credited refund may be lower than a simple subtraction from the total amount paid. The calculator works on the basic fare you enter and keeps cancellation charges separate from non-refundable fees.
Support
If an eligible refund has not arrived or the transaction record appears incorrect, use official IRCTC support channels. You can submit and track refund-related queries through IRCTC's official eQuery service. For eligible e-ticket cancellation and TDR difficulties, IRCTC also publishes a support email for requests from the registered email address.
When contacting support, prepare:
Do not publicly share sensitive booking details or complete payment credentials.
These two services answer different questions, and the calculator does not replace official refund tracking:
| RailAI refund calculator | Official IRCTC refund tracking |
|---|---|
| Estimates a possible refund | Shows transaction-related refund information |
| Uses rules and entered ticket details | Uses actual booking or payment records |
| Helps before cancellation | Helps after a transaction or claim |
| Does not move money | Reflects the official refund process |
The RailAI Refund Calculator helps passengers understand potential train ticket cancellation deductions without manually working through multiple railway rules. It is particularly useful when comparing cancellation timings, checking the ordinary confirmed-ticket refund slabs, or understanding why Tatkal, RAC and waiting-list bookings are handled differently.
With clear explanations and a transparent calculation, passengers can make more informed decisions before cancelling their tickets.
Estimate your train ticket refund with RailAI before you cancel.
Common questions
Straightforward answers about ticket refunds, cancellation deductions, Tatkal, RAC and waiting-list rules, TDR, refund status and timing.
The estimate depends on the fare per passenger, number of travellers, class, current reservation status, quota and the time before scheduled departure. Additional taxes, fees and exceptional claims may change the actual credit.
For ordinary confirmed tickets, a minimum flat charge generally applies when you cancel more than 72 hours before departure, 25% of the fare (subject to the applicable minimum charge) applies between 72 and 24 hours, and 50% (subject to the minimum) between 24 and 8 hours. Less than 8 hours before departure, no ordinary cancellation refund is generally available.
Indian Railways revised the confirmed-ticket cancellation windows in March 2026, moving the previous 48-hour, 12-hour and 4-hour thresholds to 72, 24 and 8 hours. Ordinary confirmed tickets now need to be cancelled earlier to qualify for the more favourable deduction. Official IRCTC help pages may still show older wording, so check the terms shown in your booking account.
The standard published minimum charges per passenger are ₹240 for First AC and Executive Class, ₹200 for AC 2 Tier and First Class, ₹180 for AC 3 Tier, AC Chair Car and AC 3 Economy, ₹120 for Sleeper and ₹60 for Second Sitting. GST may be added to cancellation charges for AC classes.
Confirmed Tatkal tickets, including Premium Tatkal, ordinarily do not qualify for a refund on voluntary cancellation. Train cancellation, disruptions and other eligible exceptions have separate official procedures. RAC and waitlisted Tatkal tickets can be subject to clerkage rules.
Ordinary voluntary cancellation of RAC tickets generally incurs ₹60 clerkage per passenger, plus applicable AC-class GST, up to 30 minutes before scheduled departure. The 72/24/8-hour confirmed-ticket slabs are not used for RAC. A ticket upgraded to confirmed status follows confirmed-ticket rules.
Where every passenger remains waitlisted after chart preparation, the e-ticket is normally dropped from the chart and cannot be used to board. The eligible refund is processed automatically after applicable deductions. This tool cannot inspect chart or PNR status.
If it becomes confirmed, the confirmed-ticket cancellation conditions may become relevant. Check your latest reservation status before estimating the deduction.
Partially confirmed or family bookings have special cancellation and TDR rules, and each passenger's status can matter. This calculator applies one status to every passenger entered, so calculate each status group separately and check the official IRCTC instructions for the booking as a whole.
IRCTC's published terms state that the convenience fee on successful e-ticket bookings is non-refundable, and payment gateway or platform fees may also be excluded. AC cancellation charges can attract GST. This calculator shows a base-fare estimate excluding additional fees and taxes.
The amount you paid may include the convenience fee, payment gateway fees, taxes and optional charges on top of the railway fare, besides the cancellation deduction. The credited refund can therefore be lower than a simple subtraction from the total paid.
It depends on the ticket status, the reason for cancellation, the time left before departure and any special provisions. Normal online cancellation options may change after charting. Historically a TDR was needed; in March 2026 Indian Railways announced simplified arrangements to reduce TDR requirements, so follow the options shown in your booking account. A refund is not guaranteed.
A TDR may remain relevant for certain exceptional claims, depending on the current procedure. Use the official IRCTC booking interface to check whether cancellation, automatic processing or a specific claim route applies. There is no single TDR deadline for every reason.
For qualifying IRCTC e-tickets on officially cancelled trains, the eligible fare refund is generally processed automatically, and normal voluntary cancellation deductions should not apply. Counter tickets may follow a different claim process. This tool models voluntary cancellation only.
You may qualify for a full fare refund if the train is officially running more than three hours late and you choose not to travel, subject to conditions. Confirm the currently prescribed claim method and deadline, because a forecast delay alone is not proof of eligibility.
This is a failed transaction, which is reviewed through IRCTC's payment and booking reconciliation. If a refund is due, it is returned through the applicable transaction process. There is no guaranteed universal timeline, so check your IRCTC transaction history and your bank or UPI app, and never share an OTP, PIN or CVV.
Sign in to the official IRCTC website, open My Account and My Transactions, select the booking and review the refund details, then confirm the credit in your payment account. A PNR identifies the reservation but is not a substitute for the official refund transaction record.
There is no fixed time for every case. It depends on the refund category, IRCTC processing, the bank or payment gateway, the payment mode, whether railway approval is needed and weekends or holidays. This calculator estimates the amount, not the credit date.
Enter the basic fare per passenger and the number of travellers. The calculation assumes all selected passengers share the same ticket status, quota and class. For mixed bookings, calculate each group separately.
No. RailAI does not access your PNR, payment or cancellation records in this tool. The amount shown is an estimate and does not move money. Use official IRCTC refund tracking for actual transaction status.
Keep planning
Plan your reservation, understand chart timing and check train details before you travel.
Disclaimer: RailAI is an independent railway information platform and is not affiliated with Indian Railways or IRCTC. All refund calculations are estimates based on published rules. Final refund eligibility, cancellation charges and credited amounts are determined by the authorized railway booking and payment systems.