Vande Bharat Sleeper Ticket Cancellation: A Costly Endeavor
The Indian Railways has introduced new norms for Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, making ticket cancellations a costly affair for passengers. Under these rules, cancellations made anytime after purchasing a ticket will incur a 25% deduction, while cancellations between 72 hours and eight hours before departure will be charged at 50%. The most stringent condition is that no refund will be provided if a ticket is canceled less than eight hours before the train's scheduled departure.
This stricter policy is attributed to the Railways' decision to prepare the reservation chart eight hours before departure, a change from the previous four-hour norm. The new rules for Vande Bharat Sleeper trains are notably different and more stringent compared to other train services, including the operational Vande Bharat chair-car trains.
Officials explain that the norms aim to reduce the time for ticket cancellations and adjust refund amounts for Vande Bharat Sleeper services, as these trains only issue confirmed tickets. Passengers will no longer have the option to reserve seats against cancellation tickets.
In contrast, other train rules offer a flat cancellation rate of Rs 240 for first AC, Rs 200 for Tier-2 AC, Rs 180 for Tier-3 AC, Rs 120 for Sleeper, and Rs 60 for Second Class, if canceled before 48 hours before departure. Between 48 hours and 12 hours before departure, a 25% cancellation charge applies, and a 50% deduction is levied for cancellations made between 12 hours and four hours before departure.
The Railway Board has also set a minimum chargeable distance of 400km for Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, with quotas reserved exclusively for women, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and those with duty passes. No other reservations will be applicable.
