In a major development, the Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that tickets purchased at the station ticket booth can now be cancelled online. This move will ease passengers the trouble of having to visit train stations to cancel their tickets.
The new process allows passengers to cancel PRS (Passenger Reservation System) counter tickets via the IRCTC website or by dialing 139, as long as they follow the time limits outlined in the Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Tickets and Refund of Fares) Rules 2015.
“Under normal conditions, a PRS counter ticket can also be cancelled online through the IRCTC website or by dialling 139 within the stipulated time limit outlined in the Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Tickets and Refund of Fares) Rules 2015” Union Minister said on Friday as per reported by PTI.
Responding to a concern raised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Medha Vishram Kulkarni, who asked whether passengers with waiting list counter tickets need to visit the station for full cancellation, the Minister clarified that “a waitlisted PRS counter ticket shall be cancelled at the reservation counter upon surrendering the original ticket.”
However, passengers who want a refund will still need to visit the station. “Refunds can be collected by submitting the original PRS counter ticket to the reservation counters,” the Minister explained.
The new online cancellation process includes
. Visit the IRCTC website.
. Enter the PNR number and train number along with the captcha.
. Confirm you have read the rules and procedures.
. An OTP will be sent to the registered mobile number. Enter it and click ‘Submit’.
. Once the OTP is validated, the PNR details will appear on the screen.
. Click ‘Cancel Ticket’ to complete the cancellation. The refund amount will be shown.
. An SMS will be sent with confirmation and refund details.
• For confirmed tickets, cancellations up to 4 hours before departure will allow refund collection from any PRS counter.
• For RAC/waitlisted tickets, cancellations up to 30 minutes before departure can be refunded similarly.
• After these time limits, refunds can be collected from the journey’s starting station or nearby PRS locations.
This move will make ticket cancellation more convenient and streamline the process for passengers, reducing the need for in-person visits to stations.
