Train ticket booking, refund, tatkal during coronavirus: What you must know

Indian Railways has resumed operations of around 200 trains. All you need to know about the IRCTC special trains, ticket booking, tatkal and refund rules amid coronavirus lockdown

Indian Railways has resumed operations of around 200 trains, which will run from June 1. According to the Railway Ministry, these IRCTC special trains will be in addition to the existing Shramik Special trains being operated since May 1 as well as Special AC trains (30 trains) being run since May 12. Important to note: Other regular passenger train services, including all Mail/Express trains, suburban trains, passenger services will remain cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak until further advice.

Everything you must know

1. Ticket booking

Ticket booking can only be done through IRCTC website or IRCTC app. From today booking/cancellation of reserved tickets shall also be available at Post Offices,Yatri Ticket Suvidha Kendra licensees & through authorized agents of IRCTC along with Passenger Reservation System counters of reservation centers and Common Service Centers.

2. Advance ticket booking: Passengers must note that advance reservation period will be maximum for a period of 30 days only.

3. RAC ticket/waitlist: RAC, as well as Waitlist, will be generated. However, waiting list ticket holders will not be allowed to board the train.

4. Tatkal: For these select 200 trains, tatkal and premium tatkal booking will not be permitted.

5. General tickets: Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) or General tickets will not be issued. Tickets will not be issued onboard to any passenger.

6. The first chart wil be prepared at least four hours before the train's scheduled departure and the second one two hours before its departure. Online current booking will be allowed in between the first chart preparation and the second chart preparation.

Guidelines for boarding the train amid coronavirus scare

1. Ticket cancellation, refund of fare rules: For all the trains, Cancellation of Ticket and Refund of Fare rules, 2015, will be applicable.

If during the screening at the station, a person is found to have a very high temperature or novel coronavirus symptoms, he/she will not be permitted to board the train despite having confirmed ticket. However, full refund will be granted to the passenger as under:

i) On PNR (passenger name record) having a single passenger.

ii) If a passenger is found unfit to commence the journey, on a party ticket, and all other passengers on the same PNR also do not wish to commence the journey, then full refund will be granted to all of them.

iii) If a passenger is found unfit to commence the journey, on a party ticket, while others on the same PNR wish to travel, then refund will only be granted to that passenger who was not allowed to travel.

3. Screening: Compulsory screening will be done and only those who are found to be asymptomatic will be allowed to board the train.

Rules to follow before/while/after boarding train

Those who are travelling by these special passenger train services will observe the following precautions:

a) Only those with confirmed train tickets will be able to enter the station.

b) At the entry as well as during travel, passengers will have to wear face covers/masks.

c) For thermal screening at the station, passengers will have to reach the railway station at least 1 hour 30 minutes in advance.

d) All travelling passengers will have to observe social distancing norms both at the railway station and on trains.

e) Passengers will have to abide by the health protocols, issued by the destination state or union territory, on arrival at their destination.

How to get refund if not allowed to board train

TTE certificates will be issued to passengers at the entry/screening/checking point itself mentioning the number of passengers not travelled due to novel coronavirus symptoms in one or more passengers. After receiving the TTE certificates at the station, online TDR has to be filed of not travelled passengers for the refund, within a duration of ten days from the date of journey. The original TTE certificate issued will have to be sent to IRCTC by the passenger and full fare for the part passenger/full who have not commenced the train journey will be refunded in the customer’s account.

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