Among other things, Indian Railways has been in the country since British rule. In fact, after gaining independence, several things in the railway sector like rail design, tracks, etc. underwent few changes. However, the railways are being overbooked and many people have been downgraded to another class. If you have been one of those who was downgraded in Indian trains’ class, we have a process for a refund.
Indian Trains Are Overbooked!
Passengers of Ahilya Nagari SF Express, travelling from Chennai to Kerala, train had a first-hand experience of the Railways’ policy for overbooked seats. Minutes before boarding the train, the passengers were informed by the IRCTC that they had been reduced from the first air-conditioned coach, the normal coach, to the third air-conditioned coach, the economy class.
The Railways had introduced a new class with higher seat capacity and low fare structure called the third AC coach. In fact, a passenger from the train shared his experience and stated that he had a confirmed ticket for the third AC class. However, before boarding the train, he got a message from IRCTC stating that he had been allotted accommodation in 3E. He had been downgraded to another class and was eligible for a refund of the fare difference.
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Process For Differential Refund
If you are downgraded to another class, you are eligible for a differential refund. In such a case, ideally, the IRCTC should be able to calculate the refund and transfer it to your account. However, the process is a bit tedious and we have simplified it; read below:
- First, get the Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) to issue a certificate of downgrade.
- Then, courier it to the IRCTC office in Delhi.
- The claim will then be forwarded by IRCTC Delhi to the relevant Railway Zone, whose purview the relevant train falls under.
- IRCTC will issue a reimbursement whenever it receives a receipt of refund from that Railway Zone.
- Refund requests must be submitted in accordance with regulations within two days after receiving the certificate from the TTE.
- The process can be done on the IRCTC website, where you can upload the certificate.
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So, if you are downgraded, you can get a refund by following this process!
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia