Foggy Delays Binge? Get Full Refund if Train is More Than 3 Hours Late, Says Railways
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): With the onset of winter, dense fog has put a brake on the Indian Railways' speed. For the past week, train operations have been severely affected due to the fog. The situation is such that trains are not only running hours late en route, but are also departing from their originating stations with delays of four to five hours, and sometimes even 12 hours. Due to this delay, passengers are facing immense inconvenience, missing important functions, exams, and meetings. However, amidst this chaos, a major relief for passengers is that if your train is delayed beyond the scheduled time due to fog or any other reason, under railway rules, you can get a full refund.
According to railway rules, if your train is delayed by 3 hours (180 minutes) or more from your boarding station, passengers are entitled to a full refund. The most important condition for availing this facility is that the passenger must have abandoned the intention to travel by that train. That is, you will receive a 100% refund only if you do not travel due to the train delay. This rule applies equally to both regular and Tatkal tickets, as well as Tatkal and Premium Tatkal tickets. However, if you board the train or do not file a TDR on time, you will not be given a refund.
The process for obtaining a refund is different for both online and counter tickets, but is extremely simple. Passengers who have booked tickets online through IRCTC need to visit the website or app and select their ticket in the 'My Bookings' section. Then, click on the 'File TDR' option, select 'Train delayed more than 3 hours' as the reason and submit. This process needs to be completed before the actual departure of the train or chart preparation. Passengers who have purchased tickets from PRS counters need to go to the station, surrender the ticket, and explain the reason for the delay to the clerk, after which they will receive the refund in cash or in their account.
Passengers should also note that the Railways provides this refund based on the train's late departure from the boarding station, not on the train's arrival at its destination. After filing a TDR, the refund amount is typically credited to the same account from which the ticket was paid within 5 to 7 working days. This information can be helpful in preventing financial loss to passengers during this foggy season.