The Indian Railways will not charge cancellation fee from January next year, if passengers change the date of their ‘confirmed’ train journey. Passengers can avail the benefits of the new rule through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website and mobile app, said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, in an exclusive interview with NDTV. He termed the cancellation fee “unfair and not in he interest of passengers.”
Let us understand how passengers can change the date of their journey
Logging onto the IRCTC website or app
Selecting their booked tickets
Choosing a different date or train (Subject to seat availability)
Pay only the difference in fare, if applicable
No cancellation charge will apply for the change.
Current Cancellation charges
Here’s what passengers currently pay for cancellation of a confirmed ticket:
More than 48 hours before departure: Rs 240 (executive class ) or Rs 180 (AC Chair) plus GST per passenger
Between 48 and 12 hours: 25 per cent of fare plus GST
Between 12 and 4 hours: 50 per cent of fare plus GST
Less than 4 hours: No refund allowed
The new rule will allow passengers to bypass these costs, provided seats are available on the rescheduled train.
The Indian Railways is making the passengers’ travel more fair and flexible by allowing the travelers to meddle with their confirmed tickets without financial penalty. The new rule aligns train travel with bus and airline booking practices, offering passengers the freedom to change plans without losing money.