Good news for passengers: Indian Railways to allow changing travel dates for booked tickets

New Delhi: In a piece of good news for travellers, Indian Railways has planned to introduce a new policy allowing passengers to change the travel date of confirmed train tickets online without any fee. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told NDTV that the passenger-friendly system will be implemented starting January 2026. At present, passengers who wish to change their travel date must cancel their ticket and book a new one, which often leads to deductions depending on the timing of cancellation. “This system is unfair and not in the interest of passengers,” Vaishnaw said. He confirmed that instructions have been issued to implement the new changes.

Seat availability and fare difference

The Railway Minister cautioned that there is no guarantee of a confirmed ticket on the new date, as it will depend on seat availability. If the ticket for the rescheduled date is more expensive, passengers will need to pay the fare difference, he added. The move is expected to help millions who currently face hefty cancellation fees when rescheduling their train journeys. Under the existing rules, cancelling a confirmed ticket 48 to 12 hours before departure leads to a 25 per cent deduction, while cancellations 12 to 4 hours before the journey incur higher deductions. Once the reservation chart is prepared, refunds are generally not granted.

A step towards passenger-friendly Railways

This new facility is seen as a significant step towards making Indian Railways more flexible and passenger-oriented with an aim to reduce financial and logistical burdens for travellers while promoting online ticket management.

Railways asks zones to conduct traffic study before final survey

Meanwhile, the Railway Board has directed all zones to first get the traffic study done for any project to check its viability before moving on to prepare the Final Location Survey and the Detailed Project Report. According to officials, the Board’s direction came following various complaints of violation of due procedures by zonal railways in connection with Final Location Survey and DPR preparation for New Lines, Doubling/Multitracking, Gauge Conversion and Yard Remodelling Works. In a letter dated September 29, the Board reiterated its earlier direction in which it had said that the consultants should “first undertake the traffic study to assess the preliminary/initial viability of the project before proceeding ahead with the rest of the consultancy based on the outcome of the professional traffic study”.