Indian Railways is set to introduce a new policy change to ensure smoother travel for passengers. For the coming year, travellers will be able to change the dates of travel for confirmed tickets online. These changes are possible without cancellation fees or additional charges.
The new rules were announced by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on October 7. He also added that changing the date currently requires cancelling the tickets and rebooking a new one. Under the new provision, passengers will be able to book a new ticket directly on the website or the IRCTC app. There won’t be any cancellation charges.
What You Have To Keep In Mind While Changing Your Ticket?
Passengers who will be choosing an alternate ticket won’t be guaranteed a confirmed seat, as berths will be available only on the basis of availability.
If the fare of the alternative ticket is higher, then you will have to cover the difference in the fare.
But if the fare is lower, then you are eligible for a refund from the railways.
The new rules will be applicable only to confirmed tickets.
These rules do not apply to the passenger waitlist once the final chart is prepared.
How Will These Rules Work?
Let us understand this rule through an example. Suppose you are travelling from Delhi to Kolkata on January 2, 2026. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, you have to travel on January 15th. Under the new rules, you can change your date of journey to January 15th without paying anything extra, given that there are tickets available on that day.
When Will New Rules Kick In?
According to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, quoted by Jagran.com, the new rules will be available on the IRCTC website and application from January 2026.