Starting January, passengers can change the travel date of their confirmed train tickets online without any fee, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told NDTV.
In a move aimed at making train travel more flexible and passenger-friendly, the Indian Railways will soon allow travellers to change the travel date of their confirmed tickets online without any additional fee.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the new facility will come into effect from January 2026, offering relief to millions of passengers who often face last-minute changes in their travel plans.
Currently, passengers who wish to change their journey date must cancel their existing ticket and book a new one — a process that often leads to significant deductions depending on the time of cancellation. “This system is unfair and not in the interest of passengers,” Vaishnav said, adding that instructions have been issued to implement the new, passenger-centric policy.
Under the new rule, travellers will be able to modify their confirmed travel dates through the Indian Railways’ online booking system without incurring any cancellation or service charges. However, the minister clarified that confirmation for the new date will depend on seat availability.
If the fare on the rescheduled date is higher, passengers will have to pay the difference in ticket price.
The change is expected to benefit millions of passengers who currently lose a portion of their fare due to unavoidable cancellations.
As per existing rules, cancelling a confirmed ticket 48 to 12 hours before departure leads to a 25% deduction from the fare, which increases further for cancellations made closer to departure. Once the reservation chart is prepared, no refund is generally granted.