Starting in January 2026, Indian Railways is set to introduce a major passenger-friendly change in its ticket booking system.
Under the new Indian Railway Ticket Booking Rules, passengers will no longer need to cancel their confirmed tickets to change the travel date.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav announced that confirmed ticket holders will be able to change their journey date online without paying any cancellation charges.
What Is the New System and How Will It Work?
Currently, if passengers want to change their travel date, they must first cancel the ticket and then book a new one. This process often leads to cancellation or clerkage charges.
However, under the new system, a special rescheduling (postpone) feature will be added to the IRCTC website and mobile app.
With this feature, passengers can directly change the travel date of their confirmed ticket without canceling it. No cancellation fee will be charged during this process, making it simpler and more cost-effective.
Important Rules on Seat Availability and Fare Difference
Passengers should keep a few important points in mind while using this facility:
Seat availability not guaranteed: After changing the date, the confirmed seat will be provided only if berths are available on the new travel date.
Fare difference applicable: If the fare on the new date is higher, passengers will have to pay only the extra amount. If the fare is lower, the remaining amount will be refunded.
Only for confirmed tickets: This facility will apply only to confirmed e-tickets. For waitlisted tickets, the existing rules will continue.
Example and Impact on Passengers
For example, if you have a confirmed ticket from Delhi to Indore for January 20 but later decide to travel on January 25, you can change the date directly through IRCTC without canceling the ticket. This will save money and remove the hassle of cancellation and refund processing.
According to the Railway Minister, once the system is updated, a “re-booking” option will be visible on the IRCTC platform. T
his step is being seen as a major digital reform under the Digital India initiative and is expected to benefit millions of railway passengers across the country.
