Railway's ticket 'date change' feature from January: How to do it, how much it costs?

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's recent announcement that passengers will be able to change the journey dates on their train tickets online from January onwards was a major relief to regular train commuters. Unlike the current system, where travellers must cancel their existing ticket and then book a new one if the travel date changes, the latest upgrade allows them to change only the date and select new seats, depending on availability. The current system causes severe financial loss to passengers, as they must pay the cancellation charges. 

Fare to change the date
The journey date on airline tickets can be changed by paying an extra fare. However, the railway minister stated that the IRCTC will allow changing journey dates without any additional charges! Passengers could reschedule their journey as long as tickets are available on the new date. In trains with dynamic pricing, if the ticket fares on the rescheduled date are higher, then the passenger will have to pay the difference. Also, there is no guarantee that a passenger will receive a confirmed ticket instead of their previous one, as the system is based on availability. 

Steps to change the date
As per reports, the railways will soon introduce the feature to change the date on the mobile app, website and other ticket booking platforms. The 'Rebook' option is expected to check seat availability on the new date, let you pick your preferred seat, pay the extra price if required, or cancel the ticket. That said, there is no clarity yet on whether the feature will apply to tickets in all classes or how close to departure the change can be made.