No refund for last-minute cancellations on VB Sleeper, Amrit Bharat II

New Delhi: Passengers travelling on the newly introduced Vande Bharat Sleeper Express and Amrit Bharat II trains will face stricter ticket cancellation rules, including loss of the entire fare if a confirmed ticket is cancelled close to departure.

According to a Railway Ministry notification dated January 16, confirmed tickets cancelled less than eight hours before the scheduled departure will not be eligible for any refund. The ministry amended the Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Ticket and Refund of Fare) Rules, 2015 to implement the revised norms for the two premium categories.

“If the ticket is presented for cancellation less than eight hours before the scheduled departure of the train, no refund shall be granted,” the notification stated.

For confirmed tickets cancelled more than 72 hours before departure, passengers will be charged 25 per cent of the fare as cancellation fee. If the cancellation is made between 72 hours and up to eight hours before departure, the cancellation charge will rise to 50 per cent of the fare.

A senior railway official said the amended rules mean the minimum cancellation charge on these trains will be 25 per cent and “it can go up to 100 per cent depending on the time of cancellation”.

Explaining the difference from other trains, the official said every passenger on Vande Bharat Sleeper and Amrit Bharat II is assured a confirmed berth. “Such a family will either get six confirmed berths or none at all,” he said, unlike other trains where some members may travel on waiting status while sharing berths.

The official added that Amrit Bharat trains launched from January 2026 onward are categorised as Amrit Bharat II, as per a January 15, 2025 circular.

A pair of Vande Bharat Sleeper trains and nine pairs of Amrit Bharat II trains were flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 17 and 18, 2026, and the rules will apply to them.