Millions of people travel by train every day across the country. Often, for some reason or the other, people have to cancel their train tickets. However, now the rules for ticket cancellation have changed. Yes, once again a big update has come out for railway passengers. The government has made important changes in the rules related to ticket cancellation.
The particular rules have come into effect from January 16, 2026. These new rules will directly impact the passengers travelling on the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express and Amrit Bharat II Express.
The Vande Bharat Sleeper Express has been launched recently. Due to its high speed, modern amenities and comfortable sleeper coaches, this train will make long-distance travel easier. However, the tickets and rules for the Vande Bharat Sleeper train are now different from those of regular trains, which is very important for the passengers to understand. Yes, there is a special rule for ticket cancellation and refund in this train.
Cancellation Policy of Vande Bharat Sleeper Express
The biggest change has been made in the cancellation policy of Vande Bharat Sleeper Express. If the confirmed ticket is cancelled more than 72 hours before the scheduled departure time of the train, the passengers will be charged 25% of the fare. However, if the ticket is cancelled between 72 hours and 8 hours, 50% of the fare will be charged. If there is less than 8 hours left before the train leaves, then no refund will be made.
Refund Rules
Furthermore, the TDR and refund rules have also been tightened. Passengers who do not cancel their tickets for Vande Bharat Sleeper Express or file TDR online 8 hours before the train’s departure will not get any refund.
The government has made significant changes
The government has amended Rule 11. Now, in some cases, Vande Bharat Sleeper and Amrit Bharat II Express will be covered by the 72-hour rule instead of the earlier 48 hours. However, the 48-hour rule will remain in force for other trains.
Cancellation Rules for Amrit Bharat II Express
The rules for reserved tickets for Amrit Bharat II Express will be as per the new Vande Bharat Sleeper rules. On the other hand, unreserved tickets will be covered by the old Rule 5. However, the relief is that there has been no change in the ticket status, confirmation or waiting list rules. This amendment will help passengers make more informed decisions about their timely travel.
TDR Submission Rules
For Vande Bharat Sleeper, if you do not cancel your ticket 8 hours before the train’s departure or submit TDR online, you will not get a refund.
Old Rules and Differences
While the cancellation period for other trains (like Rajdhani, Express, etc.) often starts from 48 hours, the Railways has extended it to 72 hours for Vande Bharat Sleeper and Amrit Bharat II from January 16.
The whole thing in a nutshell
If you want to cancel a confirmed Vande Bharat Sleeper ticket, you have to do so at least 3 days (72 hours) in advance, otherwise you may face a loss of 50% to 100%.
