Indian Railway often updated their existing rules so that the passengers could get maximum benefits during their time of traveling with Indian Railways. Passengers often compalaint about tickets and penalty on this for various reasons. To solve some of these problems, Rail has came with new rules.
Until now, if a passenger’s trip is unexpectedly cancelled or they miss a train, they are often deducted from their ticket or lose the entire fare. However, with the new system in place, passengers will have the option to choose a new travel date instead of simply canceling their ticket. If the fare on the new train or date is higher, they will only have to pay the difference. There will be no cancellation charge.
What are the new rules
According to current rules, if a passenger misses a train or cancels a ticket for any reason, 25% to 50% of their fare is deducted. If the ticket is cancelled less than four hours before the scheduled departure, no refund is provided. Sometimes, due to unexpected flight delays, bad weather, or an emergency, passengers are unable to catch the train and lose their entire fare. This new step by the Railways has been taken to address this problem.
Passengers can log in to their IRCTC account and select a new travel date or a different train, provided seats are available. The system will then display the fare difference, which will be paid to confirm the new ticket. This process will be completely online, eliminating the need for passengers to cancel or purchase a new ticket.
This facility is available at the international level
In Japan, the Japan Rail Pass allows passengers to change their travel dates on most trains without penalty. In Europe, many train services offer flexi-tickets, allowing passengers to make changes or receive refunds before their journey. In Britain, the Anytime Ticket allows travel on any train.