Pakistan Railways Unveils Simple and Clear Ticket Refund Policy!

Pakistan Railways has introduced a new, customer-friendly ticket refund policy aimed at making cancellations smoother and more transparent. The policy applies to both tickets bought at railway counters and those purchased through the Rabta app, ensuring passengers can easily request refunds, no matter how they bought their ticket.

Under this new policy, passengers who buy tickets at railway counters, also known as Points of Sale (POS), can get back a significant portion of their ticket price if they cancel within certain timeframes. If you cancel your ticket at least 48 hours before the train’s scheduled departure, you’ll receive a 90% refund. If you cancel between 24 and 48 hours before departure, you’ll get 80% back. And if you cancel less than 24 hours before departure, you’ll still receive a 70% refund.

However, there’s a little catch. If you decide to cancel your ticket within just 2 hours of the train’s scheduled departure, you’ll only be able to get a 50% refund. This is to encourage passengers to make decisions earlier and help Pakistan Railways manage its schedules more effectively.

But don’t worry, there are situations when you’ll get a full refund. If the train is delayed for 6 hours or more, passengers are entitled to a complete refund, no matter when they cancel their ticket. This new rule provides a bit of peace of mind for travelers who face long delays.

For those who purchased their tickets at a POS counter, the refund must be processed at the same counter where the ticket was originally bought. To complete the refund, travelers will need to present their original ticket along with a copy of their national ID card. After the refund is processed, passengers will receive a cancellation slip and the refunded amount.

Online ticket holders are also covered under this new policy. Refunds for online ticket purchases follow the same rules as counter purchases, but there’s one important difference: refunds for online tickets can only be processed through the same online platform where the purchase was made. For instance, if you booked your ticket through the Rabta app, you need to request the refund through the same app. It’s also important to note that no refunds will be issued for online tickets after the scheduled departure of the train.

If there’s less than 1.5 hours left before the train departs and you wish to cancel, you will only be eligible for a 50% refund, whether you bought your ticket online or at a counter.

The goal of these changes is to make the refund process more predictable and customer-friendly. Passengers now know exactly what to expect when they need to cancel, reducing confusion and providing clearer guidelines for everyone. Pakistan Railways hopes that this policy will help passengers make better-informed decisions and make their travel experience more enjoyable.