Great News for Railway Passengers: Now You Can Reschedule Confirmed Train Tickets Online Without Any Cancellation Charges

In a major relief for train travelers, Indian Railways is introducing a new facility allowing passengers to change the date of travel on a confirmed ticket without any cancellation charges. This new rule will come into effect starting January 2026, as announced by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

What’s Changing?

Currently, if a passenger wants to change their travel date, they must cancel the existing ticket and book a new one. This process not only deducts cancellation charges but also does not guarantee availability of a confirmed ticket for the new date.

Under the new rule, passengers with a confirmed train ticket will be able to reschedule their journey date online, eliminating the need for cancellation and rebooking. Most importantly, no extra charges will be applied for this change

Example:

If you have a confirmed ticket to travel from Ahmedabad on November 20, but your travel is delayed by 5 days, you can simply reschedule your ticket online to November 25—without canceling and without paying any extra fees.

Key Highlights of the New Rule:

Effective from: January 2026

• What’s allowed: Change of journey date on confirmed tickets via online mode
• Charges: No cancellation or rescheduling charges
• Availability: New date ticket will be subject to seat availability
• Fare difference: If the fare for the new date is higher, passengers will need to pay the difference

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw acknowledged that the current ticketing system is not passenger-friendly due to financial losses during cancellations. This new move is aimed at making railway travel more flexible and convenient for millions of daily passengers.

This rule is expected to benefit lakhs of travellers who often face difficulties when travel plans change suddenly.