What the Vande Bharat refund calculator does
This calculator works out how much money comes back when you cancel a Vande Bharat Express ticket, whether it is a daytime Vande Bharat train or the overnight Vande Bharat Sleeper. Choose your Vande Bharat train and class, check the fare it fills in from IRCTC, pick your ticket status and when you are cancelling, and it shows the refund per passenger, the charge kept and the rule that applies. It knows that the Vande Bharat Sleeper follows stricter refund rules than the Chair Car, and switches automatically when you choose a Sleeper train.
The fare box fills in with IRCTC's full-route fare for the train and class, checked on 11 November 2026. If you paid a different amount, for example for part of the route, type the fare shown on your ticket.
How to use the calculator
- Choose your Vande Bharat train and class: CC or EC for Chair Car trains, 3A, 2A or 1A for the Vande Bharat Sleeper.
- Check the fare paid per passenger. Change it to the amount on your e-ticket if it differs.
- Choose the ticket status: confirmed, waitlisted, confirmed Tatkal, or train cancelled by Indian Railways.
- Choose when you cancel, counted from the train's departure at its first station. Use the cancellation deadline tool to see the exact clock times for your date.
- Read the refund. Multiply by the number of passengers on the ticket.
Vande Bharat Express Chair Car refund rules (CC and EC)
| When you cancel a confirmed ticket | Charge per passenger |
|---|---|
| More than 72 hours before departure | Flat: ₹180 in CC, ₹240 in EC |
| 72 to 24 hours before | 25% of the fare, at least the flat charge |
| 24 to 8 hours before | 50% of the fare, at least the flat charge |
| Less than 8 hours before | No refund |
| Waitlisted (Chair Car has no RAC) | ₹60 clerkage, up to 30 minutes before departure |
| Confirmed Tatkal | No refund |
The flat charge is a minimum, not a fixed fee. In the 25% and 50% bands you pay whichever is higher: the percentage or the flat charge. These time bands were announced by the Ministry of Railways on 24 March 2026, replacing the earlier 48, 12 and 4-hour bands. IRCTC's published rules may still show the older bands, so the amount on the IRCTC cancellation screen is always final.
Vande Bharat Sleeper refund rules (stricter)
| When you cancel | Charge |
|---|---|
| More than 72 hours before departure | 25% of the fare |
| 72 to 8 hours before | 50% of the fare |
| Less than 8 hours before | No refund |
Under the rules the Sleeper sells confirmed tickets only, with no RAC and no Tatkal (IRCTC did show waiting-list numbers on 27422 in November 2026). These rules were notified in January 2026 (Gazette G.S.R. 41(E), Railway Board Commercial Circular 08/2026). There is no flat-charge band: even cancelling weeks ahead costs a quarter of the fare.
Worked examples
Howrah–Puri Vande Bharat Express, 22895, CC, ₹1,485
- More than 72 hours before: ₹180 kept, ₹1,305 back.
- 72 to 24 hours before: 25% is about ₹371, so about ₹1,114 back.
- 24 to 8 hours before: 50%, so about ₹742 back.
- Less than 8 hours before: nothing back.
Same train in EC, ₹2,665
More than 72 hours before, ₹240 is kept and ₹2,425 comes back. From 72 to 24 hours, 25% is about ₹666, so about ₹1,999 back. From 24 to 8 hours, about ₹1,333 back.
New Delhi–Varanasi Vande Bharat Express, 22436, CC, family of four
Each ticket costs ₹1,835. Cancelled four days before, each passenger loses only ₹180, so the family gets 4 × ₹1,655 = ₹6,620 back. Cancelled the evening before, inside the 50% band, they would get about ₹918 each instead.
New Delhi–Varanasi Vande Bharat Sleeper, 27422
| Class and fare | More than 72 h before | 72 to 8 h before |
|---|---|---|
| 3A, ₹1,915 | about ₹1,436 back | about ₹958 back |
| 2A, ₹2,470 | about ₹1,853 back | ₹1,235 back |
| 1A, ₹3,030 | about ₹2,273 back | ₹1,515 back |
So a Vande Bharat Sleeper 3A passenger who cancels a week ahead loses about ₹479, while a Chair Car CC passenger on the daytime Vande Bharat train on the same route loses only ₹180.
When the flat charge is higher than the percentage
On a cheaper ticket, for example a ₹600 CC fare for a short stretch, 25% would be only ₹150. Because ₹150 is below the ₹180 flat charge, ₹180 is kept and ₹420 comes back.
Waitlisted, Tatkal and cancelled trains
- Waitlisted Chair Car ticket: only ₹60 clerkage per passenger if you cancel at least 30 minutes before departure. If it is still waitlisted when the chart is made, the e-ticket is cancelled and refunded automatically, less clerkage.
- Confirmed Tatkal: no refund on cancellation, whatever the timing.
- Train cancelled by Indian Railways: full refund, processed automatically on e-tickets, whichever Vande Bharat train it is.
- Train running very late: IRCTC's rules have allowed a full refund through a TDR if the train is more than 3 hours late and you do not travel. The Ministry of Railways said on 24 March 2026 that TDR filing for e-tickets has been removed and refunds are processed automatically, while IRCTC's pages may still describe TDR. Check your booking on IRCTC.
Things that change the amount slightly
- GST on the cancellation charge in AC classes can change the refund by a few rupees.
- Payment gateway fees are not refunded on a voluntary cancellation.
- The meal charge: the calculator applies the percentages to the full fare including the meal. IRCTC may treat the catering charge separately, so the IRCTC screen is final.
- Cancel before the chart. IRCTC's published rules do not allow a confirmed e-ticket to be cancelled in the normal way after the chart is prepared.
Change instead of cancel
If only your boarding point has changed, you can change the boarding station on a Vande Bharat e-ticket once, online, up to about 30 minutes before departure, at no cancellation charge. You can also upgrade from CC to EC on the same train if a seat is free. An e-ticket's date cannot be changed. Read the ticket change guide.
Vande Bharat refund FAQs
What are the Vande Bharat ticket cancellation charges?
For a confirmed Chair Car ticket: ₹180 in CC or ₹240 in EC more than 72 hours before departure, 25% of the fare from 72 to 24 hours, 50% from 24 to 8 hours, and no refund after that.
What are the Vande Bharat Sleeper cancellation rules?
25% of the fare more than 72 hours before departure, 50% from 72 to 8 hours, and no refund in the last 8 hours.
How much refund will I get if I cancel a confirmed Vande Bharat ticket?
On a ₹1,485 Howrah–Puri CC ticket: ₹1,305 if you cancel more than 72 hours ahead, about ₹1,114 from 72 to 24 hours, about ₹742 from 24 to 8 hours, and nothing after that.
What is the cancellation charge for a waitlisted Vande Bharat ticket?
₹60 per passenger, if you cancel at least 30 minutes before departure.
Can I get a refund on a Vande Bharat Tatkal ticket?
Not on a confirmed Tatkal ticket.
What if my Vande Bharat Express train is cancelled?
You get a full refund. For e-tickets Indian Railways refunds automatically.
Is there RAC on Vande Bharat?
No. Chair Car trains have seats, not berths, so there is no RAC, and the Vande Bharat Sleeper sells confirmed tickets only.
Related tools and guides
Cancellation deadline tool · Vande Bharat refund and cancellation rules · Chart preparation time · Change a Vande Bharat ticket
Sources: Ministry of Railways statement of 24 March 2026 (PIB) for the 72/24/8-hour windows and TDR change; IRCTC refund rules for flat charges, clerkage, Tatkal and post-chart cancellation; Gazette G.S.R. 41(E) of 16 January 2026 and Railway Board Commercial Circular 08/2026 for the Sleeper; fares from IRCTC, 11 November 2026. Chair Car rules as summarised by RailwayHelper's refund calculator. Checked November 2026.