Indian Railways Revises Cancellation Rules for Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat Services

The Railway Ministry has notified amendments to the Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Ticket and Refund of Fare) Rules, 2015, introducing stricter norms for premium trains. Effective immediately, passengers who cancel confirmed tickets on Vande Bharat Sleeper Express and Amrit Bharat II trains less than eight hours before departure will forfeit the entire fare.

Key Highlights:

• New Rule: No refund for cancellations made within 8 hours of departure.
• Applicable Trains: Vande Bharat Sleeper Express and Amrit Bharat II.
• Objective: Reduce last-minute cancellations and improve seat utilization.
• Notification Date: Rules amended on January 16, 2026.
• Impact: Encourages timely planning and ensures availability for genuine passengers.
• Opening Match Context: First applied to premium services with high demand and limited capacity.

Railway officials emphasized that the measure is part of broader reforms to enhance efficiency and passenger experience on premium services. While stricter, the policy is expected to improve fairness in ticketing and reduce misuse of last-minute cancellations.

Sources: India Today, Trak.in, The Economic Times