Ticket booking and refund issues are always a topic of discussion for Indian Railway passengers. Meanwhile, a post by a female user on X went viral, complaining to IRCTC that her Tatkal ticket was automatically cancelled, yet she was still charged a fee.

The post became a topic of discussion within hours, garnering millions of views and thousands of reactions. People began expressing their opinions about railway rules and transparency.

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Woman’s Claim

User Harshita wrote that she had booked a Tatkal ticket, but the ticket was auto-cancelled due to a seat not being allotted, and she was charged a cancellation fee. She attributed this to a system flaw and questioned why the charges were deducted when it wasn’t her fault.

IRCTC’s Response

After the post went viral, IRCTC issued an official response. The response stated that if a ticket is automatically cancelled after chart preparation while in waiting or RAC, a clerkage charge is deducted per passenger as per Indian Railway rules.

IRCTC clarified that this ticket was not Tatkal, but General category, and the rules apply to all. They also shared a PDF link to the refund rules.

Questions raised about the system

Harshita soon clarified that she had written “General” instead of “Tatkal” due to a typing error. She said she understands the rules, but the system’s methodology seems to be incorrect because the passenger made no mistake, yet the charges were deducted. She also stated that the issue is not about ₹65, but about principle and transparency.

ConfirmTKT also presented its position

Seeing the growing controversy, ConfirmTKT also responded, stating that as per IRCTC policy, a clerkage charge of ₹60-₹65 is deducted on auto-cancelled tickets after chart preparation, regardless of where the ticket was booked.

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Social media debate

The entire issue has sparked a new debate about the IRCTC app’s user interface, refund system, and transparency. Many commented on the platform fees and app experience, while others defended the railway rules.