 "Railways")
Indian Railways has reported earnings of Rs 1,229.85 crore from cancelled waiting list tickets between the years 2021 and 2024 (up to January). This information was disclosed in response to a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by activist Vivek Pandey from Madhya Pradesh. The Railway Ministry's data also indicated a consistent increase in revenue from this source over the specified period.
In 2021, approximately 25.3 million tickets on the waiting list were cancelled, resulting in earnings of Rs 242.68 crore for Indian Railways. The following year, the number of cancelled tickets surged to 46 million, with revenue reaching Rs 439.16 crore. In 2023, the trend continued, with 52.6 million waitlisted tickets being cancelled, contributing to earnings of Rs 505 crore. Even in January 2024 alone, 4.586 million tickets were cancelled, generating Rs 43 crore for the Railways. Altogether, this accounts for more than 128 million cancelled waiting list tickets during the specified period.
The #IndianRailways clocked earnings of ₹1,230 crore from cancelled waiting list tickets, including tatkal (between yr 2021 to jan 2024) Reveals #RTI filed by me.
— Dr Vivek Pandey (@Vivekpandey21) March 20, 2024
???? Why railways charge cancellation fee even when passengers don't get a seat ? Another money making strategy ? pic.twitter.com/JmOLse8VGp
During the Diwali week last year, from November 5 to November 17, Indian Railways witnessed a significant surge in ticket cancellations, amounting to 9.618 million tickets. Notably, nearly half of these cancellations were from passengers on the waiting list across all quotas, according to data from the Centre for Railway Information Systems.
During this period, Indian Railways accrued earnings of Rs 10.37 crore solely from cancellations with a final status of waiting list.
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Indian Railways cancellation charges
Cancellation charges vary based on the class of travel and the time before departure. For example, cancelling a confirmed Second Class ticket 48 hours prior to departure incurs a flat fee of Rs 60. Meanwhile, charges for AC classes range from Rs 120 to Rs 240. According to the refund rules outlined by Indian Railways, a full refund is permissible if the ticket is cancelled within 72 hours of the scheduled departure of the train.
It is important to note that e-tickets purchased online through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) also attract a service charge, which is non-refundable upon cancellation. The service charge can vary between Rs 10 to 30, depending on mode of payment like UPI, debit card, credit cards, net banking, etc.
A Former railway official told The Hindu, that Indian Railways should review its waiting list thresholds to better align with capacity and demand. For instance, they pointed out that allocating a waiting list of 600 for an 18-coach train with only 720 seats in the sleeper compartment may not be practical, leading to a high number of cancellations.
