Millions of people travel by train across the country every day, and the Indian Railways operates thousands of trains for the convenience of these travelers. However, sometimes, due to unforeseen circumstances or emergencies, travel plans suddenly change, forcing passengers to cancel their booked tickets. This wastes time and money. To address this major problem, the Indian Railways is preparing to implement a revolutionary new rule.
Under this innovative rule, if your travel date changes, you will no longer need to cancel your ticket! You will be able to travel on a different date on the same ticket. However, the Railways have imposed some conditions. Let’s understand how this new rule will work and what unprecedented benefits it will bring to millions of travellers.
Travel on a different date without cancelling your ticket
The Indian Railways is going to make a major change to its ticket booking system. Now, passengers will be able to postpone their travel date without cancelling their ticket. For example, if you booked a train for November 20th and now have to travel on November 22nd, the same ticket can be rescheduled. This advanced feature will only be available for confirmed tickets booked through the IRCTC portal or app.
New rule brings significant relief to passengers
Currently, passengers have to cancel their old tickets and book a new one when their travel date changes, incurring cancellation fees that can range from 25% to 50%, and sometimes, even no refund. This new rule will eliminate this hassle. However, if the train fare on the new date is higher, passengers will have to pay the difference. This change will make the railway’s digital services extremely flexible.
Significant time and money savings will be achieved
This unprecedented railway rule will save passengers both time and money. Emergencies often force people to change their travel plans, resulting in significant losses in the form of cancellation fees. The Railways is now developing a strategy to encourage passengers to update their travel dates instead of cancelling tickets.
Status on Seat Availability and Refunds
This new rule is extremely beneficial for passengers, but it is not mandatory that the same seat will be confirmed on the new date. Ticket changes will be made based on seat availability. That is, changes will only be possible if seats are available on the new date.
According to reports, the Railways is also considering offering partial refunds to passengers who miss their trains for some reason. However, no official statement has been issued on this matter yet. This visionary move by IRCTC will make travel stress-free and affordable for millions of Indian travellers.