Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation [IRCTC] — Refund in TDR filed ticket

Address:	New Delhi, Delhi, 110003
Website:	www.irctc.co.in

This is in reference to Ticket booked online vide PNR Number: [protected] in Lucknow Swarn Shatabdi for journey on 10.12.2016 under Tatkal Quota to attend marriage ceremony of the son of my cousin.

Details of the Ticket:
PNR Number: [protected]
Date of Journey: 10.12.2016
From: New Delhi
To: Lucknow Jn.
Train No. 12004 LJN Swarn Shatabdi
Class: Chair Car
No. of Passengers - 4
Fare – Rs. 4940/-

TDR details
Transaction ID: [protected]
TDR Filing Date: 10.12.2016; 14:31:47 HRS
Cancellation ID: [protected]
TDR Status: CR Repudiate
Reason for TDR Registration Failed: Invalid TDR Timestmap : DELAY

On the day of journey i.e. 10.12.2016, the Shatabdi from Lucknow to New Delhi (12003) was running very late and had started from Lucknow at 12.30 AM on 10.12.2016. The customer care executives of 139 enquiry were time and again telling that as the train coming from lucknow was late, the train from delhi would depart only after arrival of train from lucknow. We were assured and started checking the time of arrival of train from lucknow (12003). However, the train from New Delhi departed at 1.40 pm long before the arrival of the train from lucknow. This breach in earlier stand taken by Railways led the utter chaos and by the time we reached New Delhi railway Station, the train had already departed. We were, therefore able to file TDR only at 2.30 pm, the earliest possible time after missing the train. We ultimately travelled to Lucknow on the same day by car and returned to new Delhi on 13.12.2016. The receipts of toll taxes paid on the way to lucknow and back during the journey is enclosed as proof.

As per the Indian Railways Refund Rules and TDR Filing w.e.f. 12-NOVEMBER-2015, the refund is available only in TDRs filed before actual departure of the train. However, in this case, the passengers including the undersigned missed the train due to wrong information provided by the 139 executives (The call records to 139 from my number [protected] on 10.12.2016 may be checked for cross verification). The confusion created by the Indian Railways led to the missing of the train which not only caused monetary loss but also the mental agony of not being able to reach in the family function. Ultimately we had to leave by car which was very risky due to the foggy weather condition. The breach of trust caused by railways in not refunding is also antagonising. In the circumstances, we claim the compensation for the monetary loss, mental harassment, agony, risk involved in travel by road which is the sole responsibility of the careless attitude and cumbersome mechanisms of obtaining information from Indian Railways. It may also be noted that status of running of trains is at times different at different mechanisms/platforms of Indian Railways available for obtaining such information.

The complaint vide No. W/NR/DLI/[protected] dated 22.12.2016 was also lodged with online portal of Indian Railways www.coms.indianrailways.gov.in. However, Railways have closed the complaint with the remarks, “As per railway rules in case of train late more than three hours TDR should be filed upto actual departure of the train and against pnr number [protected] you have filed the TDR on 10-Dec-2016 at 14:31:47 HRS, hence this case has been regretted by zonal railway due to not filed in prescribed time limit. Further If you are not getting proper response/wrong information from 139 then you may send your detailed grievance to [protected]@irctc.com to check and resolve the case.”

Being customer, it is expected that Railways would resolve all the grievances in a single window. While, the rules have been cited for the inability to accept the grievance, however, the laxity and the confusion created by the railways and the loss of customer consequent to that has not been addressed to. The silence of Authorities on the laxity of railways amounts to committing a grave mistrust with the customer and is liable to compensation.

It is therefore demanded that the Railways should be penalised for such laxity in the services for which they are charging huge money. Rs. 5000/- of a customer cannot be forfeited by railways citing rigid rules when the situation is out of their control and the trains are late beyond the reasonable time. This has to be explained by railways.