The lifeline of India is the Indian Railways, which serve millions of passengers each day. As a result, the Indian Railways has created numerous rules and regulations designed for passenger convenience. A common and frustrating experience is missing a train due to late arrival; however, missing a train generates many questions. The first question that arises after having missed a train is whether or not you can receive a refund for the ticket. The second major question is whether or not you can use that same ticket to board another train.
Many passengers will make quick decisions on their own and find themselves in difficult situations later due to fines or other issues. You may think that it would be possible to take another train with the ticket of the previous train, but you cannot do this.
Railway regulations require that in order to travel on a different train, passengers must obtain a general coach ticket. A general ticket cannot be used for travel on some train types such as Vande Bharat, Rajdhani and Superfast trains; therefore, before you purchase a general ticket, check which train type it is intended for. If you have purchased your general ticket, you may only use it on trains equipped with general coaches (e.g. passenger cars). Passengers who are caught traveling with no valid ticket will be subject to a fine.
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What to do?
Therefore, catching another train with a reserved ticket after missing your original train can be a risky decision. Instead, you can cancel your ticket and get a refund. To do this, you need to file a TDR (Ticket Deposit Receipt). You can do this by logging into the IRCTC app or website. You need to go to the ticket options and select ‘File TDR’. After providing the reason, the TDR is submitted, and the process is complete. After filing the TDR, the refund process begins. According to railway rules, the refund is sent directly to the account used for booking the ticket. The refund is usually received within 60 days.