New Delhi: The Indian Railways is set to introduce a passenger-friendly feature allowing travelers to modify the travel date of confirmed online tickets without any additional fees. This move aims to make online ticketing more flexible and convenient. However, this change will come into effect only from January 2026, and not during the current festive season, according to reports.

### Free Date Modification for Online Tickets

A senior railway ministry official informed News18 that the Minister’s office has issued directions to enable free date modification for online tickets, with final details currently being worked out.

“The new system is likely to be implemented from January 2026 and will apply to tickets booked online,” the official said.

Passengers will have the option to change their travel date for the same origin and destination. However, seat confirmation on the new date will depend on availability.

“If you modify a confirmed ticket, there is no guarantee that you will get a confirmed seat for the new date. Confirmation will be subject to availability,” the official added.

In cases where the fare for the new travel date is higher, passengers will be required to pay the fare difference. The ministry is expected to clarify soon whether changing the class of travel will be permitted under this new system.

### Part of Wider Ticketing Reforms

Currently, passengers who wish to change their travel date must cancel their confirmed online ticket and rebook a new one, often incurring cancellation charges of up to 50%. The upcoming feature will simplify this process by allowing direct date changes without the need to re-enter passenger details.

This reform is part of a broader initiative by Indian Railways to modernize and simplify its digital services. With over 80% of tickets now booked through the IRCTC platform, officials believe this feature will significantly reduce cancellations and refund requests.

### Other Recent Measures

In recent months, the railway ministry has also introduced several other measures to improve transparency and accessibility:

– From October 1, only Aadhaar-authenticated users can book general reservation tickets during the first 15 minutes of the booking window.
– Last year, the advance reservation period for train bookings was reduced from 120 days to 60 days to better reflect genuine travel demand.

These initiatives reflect Indian Railways’ ongoing commitment to enhancing the passenger experience through technology and streamlined processes.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/good-news-for-irctc-users-indian-railways-to-allow-free-date-change-for-online-tickets-from-january-2026-says-report