IRCTC will let you change travel dates on confirmed tickets
What's the story
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is set to introduce a new policy from January 2026, allowing passengers to change the travel date of their confirmed train tickets online without any additional charges. The move is aimed at providing more flexibility and convenience to travelers who may have to alter their plans at the last minute. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced this policy change to NDTV.
Existing procedure
Current rules and new policy changes
Under the current rules, passengers are not permitted to change the journey date for online tickets. They have to cancel their existing ticket and book a new one for the desired date, with applicable cancellation charges. The new policy will simplify this process by allowing passengers to make changes without any extra cost or hassle.
Conditions applied
Seat availability and fare differences
However, the Railway Minister clarified that there is no guarantee of getting a confirmed ticket for the new date as it depends on seat availability. If the new ticket costs more than the original one, passengers will have to pay the fare difference.