IRCTC Shocks Passengers with End of Refunds for Delayed Private Trains
Indian Railways has recently made a significant change that will likely affect passengers, particularly those traveling on private trains. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has announced that it will no longer provide refunds for train delays. This decision came in response to an RTI (Right to Information) application, which sought details about the refund policies concerning delayed trains.
According to the information revealed by IRCTC, from now on, passengers who cancel their tickets due to train delays will not be entitled to a refund. This new rule applies specifically to private trains, which are operated by the Indian Railways in partnership with private entities. However, this rule does not extend to government-run trains, for which the refund facility will continue in case of delays.
The decision to discontinue the refund scheme for private trains has raised concerns among travelers, particularly those who rely on timely train services. IRCTC, which is a government-owned company responsible for ticket bookings and managing all services of private trains, has clarified that the refund policy will remain applicable for cancellations caused by delays in government-operated trains.
For context, IRCTC had previously refunded a total of ₹26 lakh under the train delay refund scheme between October 4, 2019, and February 16, 2024. In the fiscal year 2023-2024 alone, passengers had received ₹15.65 lakh as refunds due to delays. However, from February 15, 2024, the government has decided to stop the refund policy for delays in private trains, which means passengers will no longer be reimbursed for cancellations in such cases.
Currently, Indian Railways operates only two private trains, both of which are named Tejas. These trains run on the Delhi-Lucknow and Ahmedabad-Mumbai routes, respectively. Despite the limited number of private trains in operation, the decision to discontinue refunds for delays in these services has raised questions about the future of passenger rights in the context of private train operations.
This move by the Indian Railways is expected to impact passengers who depend on timely travel and may lead to frustration, especially for those who face long delays on private trains. While government-run trains will still offer refunds in case of delays, passengers using private trains will no longer have this option, making it an important change for those traveling on such services.