On line train tickets for Foreigners

This is not entirely true. I am a 'foreigner' and for years I booked direct through my IRCTC account. I've never used a travel agent for Indian train tickets. I then gave up when IRCTC for security reasons made it very difficult for anybody without an Indian mobile SIM card to register. Even then, if you faxed them a copy of your passport, you could get around the problem and book online. There was also a 'work around' via Cleartrip. Sadly though, as a result of them making it so hard, I started doing internal flights in India and I'm reluctant to go back to the dirty, confusing, uncomfortable trains when the flights are so fast and such fantastic value. IRCTC lost me through their own terrible systems.

I wonder if they will refund when the foreigners cannot travel. If they do not refund, perhaps it is better to buy when the trip is confirmed, and not earlier.