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IRCTC TDR Filing: From AC not working to train delays – Guide to get refunds

Samira Vishwas | June 26, 2025 9:24 PM CST

New Delhi: Indian Railways is a behemoth in public transportation. The Railways carry a total of 2 crore+ passengers in a single day. To provide a service to that many passengers is a herculean task, but the public transporter manages to pull it off.

Any train journey comes with multiple challenges; for example, the train changing its route, the non-working of air conditioning, and weather- changes making trains run late. In any of the above-mentioned cases, Indian Railways, through its corporation, viz., IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation), is giving passengers the option of getting a refund in such cases, making the journey less gruesome for passengers and providing them a complete reimbursement in that case.

The tool for getting a refund in that case is filing a TDR, a ticket deposit receipt. The purpose of filing a TDR is to ensure that if you have booked a ticket but the train journey is not completed fully or partially, or there is a deficiency in service on the part of the railways, then you can get your money back.

Steps to file TDR

Log in to IRCTC website, www.irctc.co.in.
Go to the MY ACCOUNT section and click on My Transactions >> File TDR.
Select the PNR number for which TDR is to be filed.
Select the correct reason from the drop-down menu.
Select from the list of passengers who could not travel and then click on the ‘File TDR’ button.
Read the instructions on the screen carefully and click on ‘Yes.’
If the process is successful, then the message “TDR Successfully Filed” will appear on the screen.

When and for what reason can a TDR be filed?

As per IRCTC rules, you can file a TDR for various reasons, but there is a certain time limit for each reason, within which it is mandatory to file a TDR.

Serial Number	Reason for filing TDR	Time limit for filing TDR
1	The train was delayed by more than three hours, and the passenger did not travel	From the boarding station to the actual departure time of the train
2	Due to non-availability of coach, the passenger had to travel in lower class	Within 2 days, excluding the date of issue of certificate
3	AC failure	Within 20 hours of the actual arrival time of the train at the passenger’s destination station
4	All confirmed passengers could not travel	Up to 4 hours before scheduled departure time from boarding station
5	The train was diverted, and the passenger did not travel	Within 72 hours from the scheduled departure time from the boarding station
6	The train was diverted and did not pass through the boarding station	Within 72 hours from scheduled departure time
7	The train was diverted and did not pass through the destination station	Within 72 hours from scheduled departure time
8	Partially confirmed/waiting passengers could not travel	Within 72 hours from the actual arrival time of the train at the destination station
9	All passengers were waitlisted or partially confirmed, and none traveled.	Up to 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train from the boarding station
10	The passenger had to travel in lower class and wants refund of fare difference	Within 2 days, excluding the date of issue of certificate
11	Partial journey completed (partial use of ticket)	Within 72 hours from the scheduled departure time from the boarding station
12	The passenger did not travel despite having reservation in lower class	Within 3 hours from the actual departure time of the train from the boarding station
13	The passenger did not travel because the coach was damaged	Within 3 hours from the actual departure time of the train from the boarding station
14	The train did not reach the destination and was stopped midway	Within 72 hours from the scheduled arrival time at destination station

Exemption

There is no facility for booking tickets for two connecting trains through IRCTC. In such a situation, if you had planned a connected journey and there is some problem in it, then you will not get a refund on it.