This new IRCTC train ticket rule will come into effect from tomorrow - What it is and its benefits

If you have booked a confirmed ticket from IRCTC website but need to cancel it because you can't change the boarding station, here's good news for you. From tomorrow, you can change the boarding station mentioned on your ticket four hours before the start of the train's journey time. Currently, the boarding state can be changed only 24 hours before the start of the train. For this, passengers have to submit an application to the railway reservation centre in-charge. It can also be done online through the IRCTC website for tickets booked online. You can also get the boarding station changed by calling the Railway Inquiry Number -139. 

From May 1, railway travellers will be able to change the boarding station mentioned on the ticket four hours before the start of the train. 

What current rules say

In 2016, IRCTC had announced a new online service to change the boarding station. The facility was made available to all passengers who had booked their train online through the IRCTC website, and not through travel agents or the Passenger Reservation System. 

Boarding station change was also not allowed for tickets purchased under the VIKALP option. 

The IRCTC website currently says, "Passenger who has booked e-tickets can change his Boarding station online before 24 hours of the scheduled departure of the train w.e.f. 28-Jan-2016. In case a passenger has changed the boarding point he will lose all the rights to board the train from the original boarding point. If found travelling without any proper authority to travel, passenger will have to pay fare with penalty between original boarding point to changed boarding point." 

The boarding station change is allowed only one. It is now allowed if the ticket has been seized. 

Online boarding point change is also not allowed for i-ticket and current booking ticket.