Indian Railways has introduced major reforms to its ticket cancellation and refund policy, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce misuse. Announced by Ashwini Vaishnaw, the new rules will be implemented between April 1 and April 15, 2026. Under the revised policy, passengers will no longer receive any refund if they cancel tickets within 8 hours of train departure, replacing the earlier 4-hour rule. Refund deductions have also been revised, with 50% deduction for cancellations made between 24 to 8 hours and 25% deduction between 72 to 24 hours. Tickets cancelled more than 72 hours in advance will still receive a near-full refund, excluding basic charges. The reforms aim to curb black marketing, reduce last-minute cancellations, and improve seat utilization. By tightening the cancellation window, Indian Railways seeks to ensure fair ticket access, especially during peak travel seasons. In addition to refund changes, passenger-friendly features have been introduced. Travelers with counter tickets can now upgrade their travel class up to 30 minutes before departure, while passengers can change their boarding station within the same timeframe. These steps provide greater flexibility for last-minute travel adjustments. The Tatkal booking system has also been strengthened with Aadhaar-based OTP verification, restrictions on agents during the first 30 minutes of booking, and advanced anti-bot technology. Authorities have already deactivated over 3 crore suspicious user IDs to ensure fair usage. Overall, these reforms reflect Indian Railways’ efforts to create a more transparent, efficient, and passenger-friendly system.