Indian Railways: Most people often book train tickets in advance. However, sometimes, for some reason, they have to cancel their trip unexpectedly. In such a situation, if another family member wants to travel, a special facility provided by Indian Railways can help. Under this facility, passengers can change the name on their confirmed ticket to allow another person to travel.
These tickets do not provide this facility
Railways offer this facility only on confirmed tickets. Name changes are not permitted on waiting list (WL) or RAC tickets. Importantly, transfers can only be made to close relatives, such as parents, spouses, siblings, or sons and daughters. This process must be completed at least 24 hours before the train’s departure, and a name change is allowed only once per ticket.
Indian Railway rules
However, the facility to change the name on the ticket is not available online. To do this, you will need to visit the railway reservation counter. Bring a printout of the online ticket with you to the counter. There, you’ll find a name change form. You’ll need to fill in the ticket information and the new passenger’s details. You’ll also need to provide identification, such as an Aadhaar card, PAN card, or voter ID, for both the original passenger and the new passenger. After submitting all the documents, a railway employee will update the new name on your ticket. You’ll then receive a receipt or a new ticket.
This feature is especially useful when someone suddenly needs to cancel their trip and send a family member. This eliminates the hassle of canceling tickets and saves money. However, it’s important to arrive at the counter on time and have all the documents complete to avoid any problems during the name change process.