The Indian Railways has seen a significant increase in revenue from ticket cancellations, according to data obtained through a Right To Information (RTI) application. The data, provided by the Railway Ministry, shows that from 2021 to 2024, the railways collected a substantial Rs 1,229 crores from the cancellation of waitlisted tickets. This information was revealed in response to a RTI request filed by Madhya Pradesh activist Vivek Pandey, demonstrating a steady rise in income from ticket cancellations over the years.
The RTI resport disclosed that in 2021, the cancellation of 2.53 crore waitlisted tickets brought in Rs 242.68 crore. In 2022, the figure rose to Rs 439 crore from 4.6 crore cancelled tickets. In 2023, the earnings increased to Rs 505 crore from 5.36 crore cancellations. In January 2024 alone, 45.86 lakh cancellations resulted in Rs 43 crore in revenue.
During the Diwali period last year, from November 5 to November 17, there was a significant increase in ticket cancellations, with a total of 96.18 lakh tickets cancelled. This included confirmed tickets, reservation against cancellation (RAC) tickets, and waitlisted tickets. As a result, the Railways recorded Rs 10.37 crore as ‘total cancellation earnings’ from all ticket categories during this period.
The cancellation fees for railway tickets are based on the class of travel and the time of cancellation relative to the train’s scheduled departure. For confirmed tickets cancelled more than 48 hours before departure, flat cancellation charges apply:
- Rs 240 for AC First Class/Executive Class
- Rs 200 for AC 2 Tier/First Class
- Rs 180 for AC 3 Tier/AC Chair car/ AC 3 Economy
- Rs 120 for Sleeper Class
- Rs 60 for Second Class.
If an RAC/waitlisted ticket is cancelled, a fee of Rs 60 per passenger is charged.
It’s important to note that e-tickets purchased online through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) include a service charge, which is not refunded upon cancellation. The service charge can vary from Rs 10 to 30, depending on the payment method used, such as UPI, debit card, credit cards, net banking, among others.
You might also be interested in – US intelligence report: border deployment risk between India-China might lead to armed war
