IRCTC Refund Rules May Change Soon—No Clerkage Deductions for Cancelled Tickets and New Verification System for Tatkal from July 2025

Indian Railways is planning to give passengers higher refunds on cancelled train tickets. They are thinking about reducing or removing the “clerkage fee”, which is a small charge they currently take when refunding money for waitlisted or RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) tickets.

Why the Change?

Since more people are now booking tickets online instead of at the railway counter, the cost of ticketing has gone down. So, officials are considering cutting back the clerkage fees.

What Is Clerkage?

• Clerkage is a fee the Railways charges when you cancel a train ticket.
• Currently, it is Rs 60 for confirmed AC and non-AC tickets.
• For unreserved second-class tickets, the charge is Rs 30.
• This applies to both online (IRCTC) and offline cancellations.

Right now, if you cancel a waitlisted ticket, you don’t get back the clerkage fee or the convenience fee.

If the new policy is approved, it will help many passengers who lose money even if their ticket never gets confirmed.

Read more: RailOne App Launched by Indian Railways: Book Tickets, Track Trains & More in One Place – Get Details

What About the Convenience Fee?

IRCTC also charges a convenience fee:

• Rs 30 for AC tickets
• Rs 15 for non-AC tickets

While IRCTC keeps the convenience fee, the clerkage fee goes to Indian Railways to support their operational expenses.

Changes in Tatkal Booking Rules

Starting July 1, 2025, Tatkal tickets (last-minute bookings) on IRCTC will only be available to passengers who have completed identity verification.

To verify your identity, you can:

• Use your Aadhaar card
• Upload any valid government ID through DigiLocker
• Or use the new OTP-based verification system, launching by the end of July.

New Train Chart Timing

Indian Railways is also planning to change the reservation chart preparation time.

Currently, charts are made 4 hours before the train leaves, which often causes confusion.

The new plan will prepare charts 8 hours before departure, giving passengers more clarity.
For morning trains (before 2 PM), the chart will now be ready by 9 PM the night before.

Also See: Century-Old Train Control System to Get a Major Upgrade! Indian Railways Plans Modern Technology Push for Safer and Faster Trains

Indian Railways wants to make ticket cancellations fairer by reducing extra charges. It’s also making last-minute bookings and reservation processes smoother and more secure.