If you cancel a confirm ticket between 12 hours and up to four hours before the scheduled departure of the train, cancellation charges will be 50 per cent of the fare paid (subject to the minimum cancellation rate).

Yes, you can cancel a confirmed train ticket in India before 4 hours of the scheduled departure, but the refund amount depends heavily on the timing. Under the 2026 Indian Railways (IRCTC) rules, if a confirmed e-ticket is cancelled more than 48 hours before departure, a flat clerkage/cancellation fee is deducted based on the class (e.g., ₹240 for 1st AC, ₹120 for Sleeper). If you cancel between 48 hours and 12 hours before departure, the penalty increases to 25% of the fare. Between 12 hours and up to 4 hours before departure (or until the chart is prepared, whichever is earlier), the cancellation charge is 50% of the fare. Crucially, once the reservation chart is prepared—which usually happens 4 hours before the train starts from its originating station—no refund is granted for confirmed tickets via simple cancellation. After this 4-hour window, you must file a Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) online for specific eligible reasons to stand any chance of a refund, though "personal change of plans" is typically not a valid reason for a refund once the chart is finalized.