Indian Railways to refund the amount of Rs 660cr towards cancellation of over 39 lakh ticket bookings

Indian Railways will forgo around Rs 1,490 crore in revenue as it is refunding the amount towards cancellation of a whopping 94 lakh ticket bookings made by passengers prior to the imposition of the nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Top Railways officials told PTI that an amount of Rs 830 crore will be refunded for 55 lakh bookings made for travel between March 22 and April 14. The Railways had largely suspended its passenger train services on March 22, three days before the 21-day lockdown came into force.

Another amount of Rs 660 crore will be returned for around 39 lakh bookings made for travel between April 15 and May 3, they said.

India went under a total shutdown



of 21 days from March 25 to April 14. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced extending the lockdown till May 3.

The Railways had not stopped bookings for journeys beginning April 15.

It said that all passengers will get a full refund for tickets booked for the period during which passenger train services have been suspended.

The national transporter added that the money would be automatically refunded to online customers, while those who booked tickets at the designated reservation counters could claim the refund till July 31.

"A full refund will also be there for those cancelling advance bookings for trains not cancelled yet," the national transporter said.