TDR
Also known as: Ticket Deposit Receipt, train ticket refund claim, IRCTC TDR
Ticket Deposit Receipt — the official refund claim filed through IRCTC when a confirmed train ticket cannot be used due to railway-caused issues (train cancelled, late by 3+ hours, route diverted).
TDR (Ticket Deposit Receipt) is the formal refund claim process under Indian Railways rules for situations where a confirmed train ticket could not be used through no fault of the passenger. Common qualifying scenarios in 2026: the train was cancelled by Railways; the train was late by 3 or more hours at the originating station; the route was diverted and did not pass through the booked station; the AC coach was downgraded or not functional; the passenger could not board because the chart change moved the seat; medical emergency with documented hospital admission.
A TDR is filed through the IRCTC Rail Connect app or IRCTC website by selecting the affected PNR and choosing the appropriate reason from the dropdown. The deadline depends on the scenario — most TDR cases must be filed within 30-60 days of the journey date. After filing, IRCTC forwards the claim to the railway division that operates the train. Approval and refund processing typically takes 60-90 days; partial-refund TDRs (e.g. for a downgraded AC class) settle on the original payment method.
Third-party booking aggregators (MakeMyTrip, ixigo, ConfirmTkt, Goibibo, Paytm) accept TDR requests but forward them to IRCTC — adding 1-2 days to processing. Filing TDR directly through IRCTC is faster and avoids the aggregator middleman. Note: TDR is for railway-caused issues only; passenger-cancelled tickets (waitlist that did not clear, voluntary cancellation) use the standard cancellation refund process, not TDR.