No need of cancellation, Indian Railways allows changing name and date in tickets; check steps

Travelling by train is one of the most affordable and comfortable mode of transport. As it is budget-friendly, most people in India prefer to take trains instead of paying hefty amount for flight charges. With modern technologies and development in infrastructure, train journey has become more convenient for passengers these days.

However, one of the major and common challenges passengers usually face is a confirmed ticket. Yes, you read that right! Securing a confirmed seat can be a herculean task in trains.

To avoid the inconvenience, Indian Railways has introduced a new solution that allows passengers to change the name or journey date on an existing ticket without the need for cancellation of the ticket. According to sources, a passenger who has booked offline tickets at the reservation counter can now avail the option for changing his/her name on a ticket.

The name can be altered to that of a close family member, such as a parent, sibling or child. Additionally, if the ticket was booked for a group (such as student or office group), the name of the member in the group can also be changed.

Follow this process if you need to change the name in your ticket:

1. Visit the nearest railway reservation counter at least 24 hours before the departure of your train.

2. Submit a written application requesting the name change.

3. Provide valid ID proof of both the original passenger and the person to whom the ticket is being transferred.

Once the necessary documents are verified, your ticket will be updated with the new name.

4. However, a name can be changed only once per passenger and the change is limited to family members or group bookings.

Similar is the process for changing the journey date. If you wish to change the date of your travel, you can only do it if you have booked your ticket offline. 

Reportedly, this option is yet to be allowed for tickets that are booked online.