Travel plans often shift at the last minute, and for millions of Indian Railways passengers, that usually means a costly and time-consuming cancellation. Seeking to ease this inconvenience, Indian Railways has introduced a new policy allowing travellers to change the date of their confirmed tickets online without paying any additional fee.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the move during an interview with NDTV, confirming that the feature will come into effect from January next year.
Until now, passengers looking to modify their journey date had no choice but to cancel their existing tickets and book new ones, a process that resulted in deductions depending on how close to departure the cancellation occurred. “This system is unfair and not in the interest of passengers,” Vaishnaw said, adding that directives have already been issued to implement the new, more passenger-friendly system.
How The Date Change Feature Will Work
Under the upcoming policy, passengers will be able to easily switch their travel date online through the existing IRCTC platform. However, Vaishnaw clarified that the change doesn’t guarantee a confirmed seat for the new date, as it will depend entirely on seat availability. If the new fare is higher, passengers will need to pay the difference.
This reform is expected to bring major relief to millions of travellers, particularly those dealing with unpredictable schedules. It also aims to reduce the financial burden currently imposed by steep cancellation charges.
As per current rules, cancelling a confirmed ticket between 48 and 12 hours before departure leads to a 25 percent deduction from the fare. The charge rises further for cancellations made between 12 and 4 hours before departure. Moreover, once the reservation chart is prepared, passengers usually forfeit their refund altogether.
By eliminating the fee for date changes, Indian Railways is making it easier and more flexible for passengers to manage their travel plans without losing money in the process.
