The Centre on Tuesday announced a new set of reforms for Indian Railways, eyeing passenger convenience, operational efficiency, and freight capacity, as part of its plan to implement 52 changes over 52 weeks. 

In a press conference on Tuesday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said five key reforms are being introduced in areas such as ticket cancellation and refunds, boarding flexibility, and cargo movement. The broader aim, he said, is to make the railway system more transparent and user-friendly while improving logistics performance. 

Simpler cancellation, uniform access 

A major revision has been made to ticket cancellation and refund rules. Passengers cancelling tickets more than 72 hours before departure will now pay only a minimal flat cancellation charge per person. For cancellations made between 72 hours and 24 hours prior to departure, 25% of the fare will be deducted. 

If a ticket is cancelled within 24 hours but up to eight hours before departure, passengers will receive a 50% refund. However, no refund will be provided for cancellations made less than eight hours before the scheduled departure time. 

In addition, Indian Railways has removed location restrictions on counter ticket cancellations. Passengers will now be able to cancel tickets booked at railway counters from any station across the country, a move aimed at improving convenience and reducing dependency on the originating station. 

Greater flexibility, focus on freight 

The reforms also introduce more flexibility for travellers. Passengers will now be allowed to change their boarding station and upgrade their class up to 30 minutes before departure. Earlier, such changes were only permitted before the reservation chart was prepared. 

On the freight front, the Railways plans to introduce new single-deck and double-deck wagons to enhance the transportation of commodities such as salt and automobiles. These additions are expected to improve carrying capacity and streamline logistics operations. 

The government is also placing emphasis on improving the quality of railway construction projects to ensure better durability and efficiency of infrastructure. 

Vaishnaw said the reforms are part of a continuing effort to modernise Indian Railways and align it with evolving passenger and industry requirements.