Indian Railways is constantly improving its services to make travel easier and more convenient.
Along with introducing new trains to reduce congestion, the ticket booking system is also changing to prevent fraud.
Now, reservations without Aadhaar-linked IRCTC IDs and Tatkal bookings have been stopped.
But there’s good news for travelers: you will soon be able to reschedule confirmed tickets instead of canceling them.
Change Your Travel Date Without Losing Money
Currently, if you cannot travel on a confirmed ticket, you must cancel it, which incurs heavy cancellation charges.
The new rule allows passengers to change the travel date online without paying cancellation fees.
Here’s how it works:
If a seat is available on your new date, your ticket will be confirmed.
If no seats are available, your ticket will go to the waiting list.
There is no extra charge for rescheduling, saving you the usual cancellation fees (for example, AC First Class costs ₹240 + GST to cancel).
This facility will start from January 2026.
Refunds and Fare Adjustments
If the ticket fare is higher on the new date, you will need to pay the difference.
If the fare is lower, the Railways will refund the difference to your account.
This is especially useful for premium trains like Rajdhani or Shatabdi, where ticket prices fluctuate based on the date of travel.
If your rescheduled date has a lower fare, you get a refund.
Key Benefits for Passengers
Avoid losing money on cancellations
Flexibility to reschedule confirmed tickets
Fare adjustments based on the new travel date
Fully online process via the IRCTC portal
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav confirmed that this new rule will save passengers money and make travel planning easier.
