Indian Railways has issued a major update at the start of the new year regarding train ticket cancellation rules. In a recently released circular, the Railways has revised the amount deducted on ticket cancellation. The new rules also apply to the Vande Bharat Sleeper and Amrit Bharat Express trains.
According to the notification issued on 16 January, the new rules are officially titled “Rail Passenger (Ticket Cancellation and Fare Refund) Amendment Rules, 2026.”
Ticket cancellation rules for Vande Bharat Sleeper
As per the new rules effective from 16 January:
- If a ticket is cancelled more than 72 hours before the scheduled departure of the train, 25% of the fare will be deducted as cancellation charges.
- If the ticket is cancelled between 72 hours and 8 hours before the scheduled departure, 50% of the fare will be deducted.
- If the ticket is cancelled less than 8 hours before the scheduled departure, no refund will be given.
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Important points to note
In the case of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express, if the ticket is not cancelled or a TDR is not filed online at least 8 hours before the scheduled departure, no fare refund will be provided under any circumstances.
The rules applicable to reserved tickets of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express will also apply to reserved tickets of the Amrit Bharat II Express.
Extended time after chart preparation
For the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express and Amrit Bharat II Express, the time limit for ticket cancellation has been extended to 72 hours, whereas for other trains it remains 48 hours. However, for unreserved tickets of the Amrit Bharat II Express, the existing rules applicable to unreserved tickets will continue to apply.
Recently, Indian Railways has also revised the base fares for several major train services, including Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Vande Bharat, Tejas, Humsafar, Amrit Bharat, Garib Rath, Jan Shatabdi, Antyodaya, Gatimaan, Yuva Express, Namo Bharat Rapid Rail, and other general non-suburban services.