Railways mulling over reducing or waiving clerical charges it deducts while refunding fare

NEW DELHI: The railways is mulling the possibility of reducing or waiving “clerkage” (clerical charges) it deducts while refunding a fare when a waitlisted ticket is not confirmed or cancelled.

In the case of reserved AC and non-AC tickets , Rs 60 is deducted as clerkage, while for unreserved second class tickets it is Rs 30. The charge is levied on cancellation of all waitlisted tickets, including those cancelled, through the IRCTC website.

Sources said initial discussion has started, and if the railways takes the decision, it would come as a relief for passengers with waitlisted tickets as they face the double whammy of these not getting confirmed and railways deducting clerkage while refunding fare.

The options are being weighed considering that the railways operational expenses for ticketing has reduced with more passengers booking tickets online in the recent years rather than from counters, they said.

Ticketing and catering arm of the railways, IRCTC, levies a convenience fee of Rs 30 for AC and Rs 15 for non-AC tickets. The entire clerkage revenue goes to the railways as it is a functional expenditure for the system and it happens even if a ticket does not get confirmed, an official said.

In the event of cancellation of a waitlisted or reservation against cancellation ticket, clerkage, along with a convenience fee, is not refunded to passengers.

Last year, the railway ministry had told Lok Sabha that the revenue generated from all sources, including cancellation, forms part of the railways’ total receipts and are utilised for working expenses relating to maintenance and operations, and capital expenditure.