Bengaluru: With an updated ticket cancellation policy set to come into effect, rail passengers from the state claim it could significantly affect flexibility in travel planning.According to the new cancellation norms announced by rail minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Tuesday, passengers who cancel their tickets less than 72 hours ahead of their journey will face significant deductions. The changes are likely to be implemented from next month in a phased manner.Regular passengers and enthusiasts argue the move could affect students and working professionals who plan to travel between their work and native locations at short notice. Tickets cancelled within 72-24 hours of the journey will now be liable for a deduction of 25% from the journey fare, followed by a 50% deduction if cancelled 24-8 hours prior to the journey. No refunds will be initiated for any cancellation made less than 8 hours before the journey.Defending the policy termed as a reform, the railways argued it is a step towards transparency, to inform passengers in time whether their tickets are confirmed or not. “Railways, under continuous reforms, has increased the chart preparation timing from 4 hours to 9-18 hours before departure. This has provided clarity to passengers travelling from distant locations regarding their journey,” the statement read.Ticket cancellations in recent years have turned into a boon for the South Western Railway (SWR) zone, which covers the majority of Karnataka. It earned Rs 90.4 crore from ticket cancellation or clerkage charges over the past five years.The amount rose from Rs 27 crore in 2023 to about Rs 32.9 crore in 2025. With a significant chunk of cancellations made less than 72 hours prior to the journey, penalty revenue could increase.Quotes with MugshotsSumant Atreyas, StudentThere have been previous instances of cancellation when I was travelling to Palakkad. I already had a confirmed ticket, and there was a waiting list ticket in another train which reaches faster. When the latter got confirmed around 60 hours before the journey, I was charged only a very marginal amount. Though there’s not much of an issue with the last two phases of refund, now people will be more careful before booking tickets.Bharati Srivastav, 45, anchorThis new policy feels like punishing passengers. What will we do in case of emergency situations where we have to change our travel plans? This will also increase the demand for Tatkal quota, which is already very difficult to get. Reji Kumar, general secretary, Kerala Samajam BangaloreThere is a huge population of migrants in Bengaluru, and a lot of them, especially working professionals, decide to travel at short notice. In certain situations, leave might get cancelled or rescheduled. This also applies to students, and 72 hours isn’t a good time window to finalise. We have decided to approach the officials and the minister in this matter, as this is unacceptable.
