Passengers disallowed train travel due to Covid symptoms to get full refund

• Follow

While the first wave of Covid-19 in 2020 paused the routine services of the Indian Railways for months, this year the situation was slightly different. Though trains were running, several steps were taken by the authorities to ensure no further spread of the virus.

Strict Covid protocols have been followed by the railway authorities since the pandemic hit. This includes social distancing, sanitization and Covid screening for all the passengers. Only those with a travel ticket are allowed to enter the platform if they pass the screening test.

Screening is a way to check if the passenger has high body temperature or low oxygen levels – common symptoms of Covid-19.

But, what if a person reaches the railway station for traveling and is considered unfit during the screening at the railway station. The authorities won’t allow such travelers to onboard the train but what about the money spent on buying the ticket? Is there a way to get a refund?

Rules

If someone is found unfit during the screening at the station and is subsequently not allowed to travel, there are rules prescribed by the railways for your assistance. According to the information given on the official website of IRCTC, passengers found unfit at the railway screening will duly be refunded the ticket price. 

If someone is traveling in a group and many people have tickets booked on one PNR, then in such a situation all the passengers can get the money refunded. If the fellow passengers accompanying the unfit passenger do not want to board the train, they can also get their money refunded. 

How to get a refund?

To get a timely refund, passengers will have to file the ticket deposit receipt (TDR) within 10 days from the scheduled date of journey. This money will be refunded via TDR only. After filing the TDR along with a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) certificate to IRCTC, the money will be refunded to your linked bank account within 72 hours.