Indian Railways has introduced significant changes in the rules for Tatkal reservation, ticket cancellation fee and boarding seats and travel class upgrade.
New rules for cancellation fees for confirmed tickets
Here’s everything you need to know in detail:
1. In case of cancellation of a confirmed ticket less than eight hours before departure, the money is not returned.
2. If the reservation is canceled 24 hours to 8 hours before the departure time, 50% of the fare will be refunded – subject to a minimum fee.
3. If the reservation is canceled 72 hours to 24 hours before departure, 25 percent of the fare will be refunded – subject to a minimum fee.
4. If the reservation is canceled more than 72 hours before the departure time, the maximum amount will be refunded. In this case, only the minimum flat-rate cancellation fee per passenger applies.
Cancellation of tickets at the final station
Indian Railways has removed the restrictions on tampering counters. Earlier, those with counter tickets were asked to cancel their tickets at the final station. Now, under the new rules, passengers can disembark through the counter at any station.
In the case of E-tickets, the Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) requirement has been completely removed. No passenger action is now required and an automatic refund is guaranteed.
Tatkal Reservation
Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the railways had introduced changes in the tatkal reservation system to curb hoarding of tickets by agents and touts. To overcome the railway problem:
1. Aadhaar based OTP introduced
2. The reservation is limited to the first 30 minutes
3. Anti-bot solutions deployed to filter non-genuine users
4. Deactivated more than 3 million suspicious user IDs
Chart timing
Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the timing of charts has been changed and that charting has now moved from 4 am to 9-6 pm. This will give passengers enough time to plan an alternative in case their tickets are not confirmed, providing some reassurance.
Travel Class Upgrade
For counter tickets, the railways now allows the upgrade of the travel class up to 30 minutes before the departure time. Previously, passengers could only upgrade travel class prior to charter. “This will ensure more comfortable travel for passengers,” said the railway minister.
Change of boarding point
Passengers can now change their boarding station up to 30 minutes before the train’s scheduled departure time. Previously, changing the boarding point was allowed before the map was prepared.
According to the Ministry of Railways, this feature will be especially useful in big cities with multiple railway stations.
This will allow passengers to start their journey from any nearby station at their convenience.
When will the new railway rules be introduced?
The railways will implement these changes gradually between April 1 and April 15, 2026.
