Besides 139, one can also cancel confirmed tickets using IRCTC website and both the facilities are made operational from today.
Now railway passengers can cancel their confirmed train tickets by just dialling 139.
The passenger has to dial 139 giving details of the confirmed ticket for cancelling it and the sender will get a one-time password (OTP). Passenger has to reach the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counter and reveal the OTP to claim refund.
Besides 139, one can also cancel confirmed tickets using IRCTC website and both the facilities are made operational from today.
This is an attempt on our part to provide relief to passengers for cancellation of tickets, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said after launching both the services.
He said both the initiatives were promised in the Railway Budget 2016-17 which were fulfilled today.
After the change in refund rules, a lot of passengers were finding it difficult to reach counters to cancel the reserved tickets within the stipulated time and as a result they are losing money.
According to the new refund rules, railways has doubled the ticket cancellation charge with the aim of helping genuine passengers get confirmed tickets.
Mr Prabhu said railways had its own challenges for carrying out expansion programme.
"We have to expand the railway infrastructure for which fund is required. We have to increase the income for this and all these have to be carried out in a transparent manner. It is a challenging task," he said.
Railways had to change the software accordingly for the cancellation through IRCTC website and 139.
Coming to the aid of harried passengers, railways launched the cancellation facility through 139 and IRCTC site so that one does not have to rush to the counter to cancel confirmed tickets.