Now you can change your confirmed train ticket at the last minute; Here’s how

Indian Railways has decided to provide relief to passengers by allowing date changes on confirmed tickets. This new system will be effective from January 2026, although rules such as seat availability and additional fares will remain in effect.

New Delhi: Indian Railways has announced a major relief for passengers. This will provide significant relief to passengers whose travel plans change at the last minute.

Previously, if a passenger had a confirmed ticket and was unable to change the travel date, they had to cancel the ticket, resulting in a fee deduction. But this will no longer be the case.

What was the rule before?

Currently, according to railway rules, if a passenger cancels their ticket 48 to 12 hours before their journey, 25% of the fare is deducted. As the travel time approaches, the cancellation fee increases.

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If the train chart has already been prepared, the full ticket amount is deducted, and the passenger receives no refund. This has led to passengers facing a double loss—the cancellation fee and the worry of not getting a confirmed ticket on the next date.

What will be the new change?

According to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, the Railways is introducing a new policy that will allow the date of a confirmed ticket to be changed, meaning it will be rescheduled.

For example, if a passenger's journey is scheduled for October 25th but for some reason needs to travel on October 30th, they will be able to reschedule their confirmed ticket online. This new system will be effective from January 2026.

What will be the conditions?

However, this facility will come with some conditions like:

Seat availability required: A ticket can be changed to a new date only if seats are available on the train on that day. This means a confirmed ticket will not be guaranteed.

Additional fare required: If the fare for the new date is higher than the previous fare, the passenger will have to pay that additional amount.

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This new initiative by the Railways could prove to be very beneficial for passengers, especially those who change their plans at the last minute. However, it will be important to pay considerations such as seat availability and additional fare.

This facility, which is going to be implemented from January 2026, can make the passenger experience even better.