The Indian Railways is working on a proposal that could soon allow passengers to change their travel dates even after securing a confirmed ticket, according to Zee Business sources. The initiative, under consideration, aims to make rail travel more convenient and passenger-friendly. At present, travellers who wish to alter their journey date must cancel their confirmed ticket and make a fresh booking. This not only involves additional charges for a new ticket but also cancellation fees for the old one – often resulting in a significant financial loss.
What the proposal would mean?
If approved, the new facility will save passengers from the double burden of paying cancellation and rebooking charges. Instead, they would be able to shift their travel to another date directly, subject to seat availability.
Sources reported that the proposal is designed to give passengers greater flexibility, particularly for those whose plans change unexpectedly. “This will make travel planning much smoother and help people avoid the hassle of multiple bookings”.
Implementation details yet to be finalised
The Indian Railways has not yet confirmed when or how the system will be rolled out. Key operational details – such as whether the option will apply to both online and counter bookings, the number of permissible date changes and any potential administrative fees – are still under review. The plan will likely be integrated with the government’s broader effort to digitise and simplify public services. It would reduce the cost of having to cancel and rebook and also reduce last-minute ticket demand in peak times.
