Indian Railways now allows passengers to change their boarding station up to 30 minutes before a train’s scheduled departure, easing rules as part of its “52 Reforms in 52 Weeks” initiative.
“Passengers who miss boarding at the original station can now choose a more convenient station and board without losing their confirmed seat,” said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at a press conference.
Earlier, such changes had to be made at least 24 hours in advance and before chart preparation.
How the system now works
The updated boarding point will no longer appear in the first reservation chart
Instead, it will be reflected in the second reservation chart, which is prepared closer to departure
This is what enables changes.
Conditions set
You can change your boarding point only if:
-
Ticket status is “confirmed” or “reservation against cancellation” -
Waitlisted tickets are not eligible -
Change is allowed only once per ticket -
Request must be made before the second chart is prepared
How to change the boarding point
-
Online (via IRCTC) -
Log in to your account -
Go to: My Account > My Transactions > Booked Ticket History -
Select the ticket -
Click “Change Boarding Point” -
Choose a station from the route -
Confirm the request -
You’ll receive a confirmation message once updated.
Offline
-
Visit a railway reservation counter -
Carry your ticket and valid ID proof
Parallel update: Ticket cancellation rules tightened
The Railways have also revised refund and penalty timelines (rolling out April 1–15, 2026):
Full/maximum refund window extended
Now: Cancel >72 hours before departure
Earlier: >48 hours
25 per cent deduction
Now applies for cancellations between 24–72 hours
Earlier: 12–48 hours
50 per cent deduction
For cancellations between 8–24 hours before departure
No refund
If cancelled within 8 hours of departure
Earlier cut-off was 4 hours / chart preparation
First Published: Apr 03 2026 | 11:26 AM IST
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