Travel season has started across India, and trains are getting crowded.
With festivals, weddings, and summer holidays coming up, Indian Railways has made an important change to
make travel easier.
If you often travel by train, this new rule can be very helpful.
Big Relief: Change Boarding Station Till Last 30 Minutes
Earlier, passengers could change their boarding station only until the train chart was prepared.
Now, the rule has changed.
Passengers can change their boarding station up to 30 minutes before the train leaves its starting station.
This gives more flexibility, especially for those who cannot reach the original station on time.
This new rule will come into effect from next month.
Why This Rule Was Changed
Railway charts, which confirm passenger details, are now prepared 8 hours before departure instead of 4 hours earlier.
Because of this change, the time limit for updating the boarding station has also been extended.
The aim is to make travel more convenient during the busy season.
Easy Example to Understand
Let’s say you booked a ticket on the Shatabdi Express from New Delhi to Lucknow.
But you live in Ghaziabad and don’t want to travel all the way to New Delhi early in the morning.
With the new rule, you can simply change your boarding station to Ghaziabad up to 30 minutes before departure and board the train from there.
Without making this change, you will not be allowed to board from any other station.
Important Rules You Must Know
Here are some key points to remember:
You can change your boarding station from the time of booking until 30 minutes before departure
No refund is given for changing the boarding station
Once changed, you cannot board from the original station
If you board incorrectly, you may have to pay extra fare and penalty
When You Cannot Change Boarding Station
There are some situations where this facility is not allowed:
If your ticket has been seized or under checking
If the VIKALP option is active in your PNR
If you booked your ticket from a counter (offline), online change is not allowed
If you already changed the boarding station at booking, you can only modify it once more
What Does Boarding Station Mean?
A boarding station is the station where you are officially allowed to get on the train.
For example, if your ticket is from New Delhi, you cannot board from Ghaziabad unless you change your boarding station in advance.
Final Take
This new rule by Indian Railways is a big relief for passengers.
It gives more flexibility and helps avoid unnecessary travel to the starting station, especially during busy travel seasons.
