Indian Railways Scraps Cancellation Fees for Rescheduled Tickets

In a significant move to improve passenger experience, Indian Railways is preparing to roll out a new feature that will enable travelers to reschedule their confirmed tickets without incurring any cancellation fees. As of 2025-10-16T06:19:26+00:00, the upcoming initiative, expected to be implemented through the IRCTC portal, will allow passengers to modify the travel date of their booked tickets and pay only the fare difference, if applicable.

Currently, there is no option to reschedule train tickets, forcing passengers to cancel their confirmed bookings, which can result in hefty fees ranging from 25% to 50% of the ticket cost, depending on the class of travel and timing of cancellation. With the new system, travelers will have the flexibility to simply change their travel date or train, subject to seat availability, without facing these penalties.

This move by Indian Railways is aimed at aligning the country's train travel experience with international standards, where several nations already offer flexible options for rescheduling or refunding tickets. The upcoming feature is expected to be particularly beneficial for frequent and long-distance travelers who rely heavily on the Indian Railways network.