How to Change Passenger Details After Booking a Train Ticket

By: Swarn Rajhans | onJuly 1, 2025

Booking a train ticket on time is essential for ensuring a comfortable and fulfilled journey. But what if someone entered the wrong details or wants to change the passenger details after booking the ticket. Many passengers travelling in trains face these problems constantly because of the rush towards booking a ticket and typing errors.

Thankfully, Indian Railways does allow certain changes in the train ticket post booking. However, these changes are subject to certain restrictions, time period and documentation requirements. In this blog, we will discuss IRCTC’S policies, explain what changes you can make for a booked train ticket and give you a step-by-step guide on how to make these changes.

Understanding IRCTC policy for train ticket changes

The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the platform that manages ticket booking for Indian Railways, doesn’t allow for changes in a booked train ticket through online methods. You cannot make changes through the website or the dedicated app.

Here are some of the additional rules related to changes in passenger details:

Restrictions on name changes:

You cannot make changes in other details like passenger age, gender, etc.. You can only make changes in the name subject to many restrictions.

Offline: Name change is allowed for offline booked train ticket. However name change cannot be random and is permissible only for family and group members.

Online: Name change is not allowed for tickets booked online. If you want to make changes here, you would have to cancel your current booking and book an alternative train ticket.

If you are rebooking the ticket, please do a train schedule check before, to compare and find the best train for your journey.

Other Changes

Passengers can request to change their boarding station or travel date depending on whether they booked the ticket offline or online.
For tickets booked offline, you can change both the boarding station or travel date at the ticket reservation counter. Changes are subject to availability and applicable fees. Passengers can change their boarding stations up to 24 hours before the train’s departure and must update the travel date at least 48 hours in advance.
For tickets booked offline, you can change only the boarding station and not the travel date. You would need to change the boarding station 24 hours before the time of departure.

Once your changes are accepted, check live train running status online at RailMitra for updated train timings and avoid any unnecessary last minute confusion.

Eligibility and Timeline

For change in the passenger name, valid documents establishing the relationship between the original passenger and the new passenger or the one proving the legitimacy of the request is required.
Requests are subject to approval by IRCTC officials who comply with IRCTC rules and regulations to prove misuse.
Changes can be made only once in the ticket.
For changes related to a group booking, changes cannot be made for more than 10% of the total strength of the group.
Changes need to be done with the allotted time frame.
- Changes in passenger details can be done 48-24 hours before departure.
- Changes in the boarding station can be done 24 hours before departure.
- Changes in travel date needs to be done 48 hours before the departure.

What Passenger Details can be changed?

As explained earlier, you can only change the name of the passenger. Passengers can change names only under certain conditions and not arbitrarily. Here are the conditions that are permissible for name change:

When the passenger is a government employee who has sent a request for the change 24 hours before the time of the scheduled departure.
When the passenger approaches the railway 24 hours before scheduled departure, the reservation made in his name can be transferred to another member of the family: Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Son, Daughter, Husband and Wife.
When the passengers are the students of a recognized education institute, the head of the institute requests 48 hours before the scheduled departure time for the inclusion of certain students in place of others.
When the passengers are members of a marriage party and the person who is considered the head of this group applies for change 48 hours before the scheduled departure time at the Indian Railways to request for the inclusion of few passengers against the exclusion of some of the others.
When the passengers are cadets of the National Cadet Corps and the head of the group submits the request 24 hours before departure for the inclusion of certain cadets in place of others.

Steps to change passengers details in a Train Ticket

Changes in passenger details are available only for tickets booked offline. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you change passenger details in a train ticket smoothly:

Visit the nearest Railway Station: Go to the ticket counter at the Railway Station. If possible go to a major Railway station. Reach the counter before the stipulated time for your specific condition.

Write an Application letter clearly stating the purpose for change: Submit a formal written application along with PNR number, train number, journey date and verification documents for the original traveler as well as the new traveler. Clearly state your condition or reason for this change.

Attach necessary documents: You would need to enter valid documents for both the original and the new traveller. Make sure that the names and details in theapplication and the ID documents match exactly. (More on this in the next section)

Submit and Wait for Confirmation: Railway officials will verify your documents and ask for additional documents if required. After verification the original ticket would be modified with the changes and a new train ticket will be issued.

Check the changes: After the new train ticket is issued don’t forget to verify it with a PNR status check online. RailMitra has one of the fastest and smoothest platforms to check PNR Status. Do visit it for a quick check.

Documents Required

These are the documents you need to carry with yourself for making a change in passenger details after booking a train ticket:

Transfer to a family relative

1. Original train ticket along with a copy of the same.
2. ID proof of the original passenger
3. ID proof of the new passenger
4. Proof of relationship
5. A written application along with PNR number, Train Number, Journey date and clearly specified reason for the change.

Change for students

1. Original train ticket along with a copy of the same.
2. Letter from the Education Institution head asking for a change.
3. ID proof of the original students
4. ID proof of the new students
5. A duly written application letter along with PNR number, Train Number, Journey date and clearly specified reason for the change.

For Government Employees

1. Original train ticket along with a copy of the same.
2. Letter of authorization from the Department head.
3. ID proof of the original employee
4. ID proof of the new employee
5. An application letter along with PNR number, Train Number, Journey date and clearly specified reason for the change

In case of a marriage ceremony

1. Original train ticket along with a copy of the same.
2. Wedding invitation card or other legitimate proof of marriage
3. ID proof of the original wedding invitee
4. ID proof of the new wedding invitee
5. An application letter along with PNR number, Train Number, Journey date and clearly specified reason for the change

For NCC (National Cadet Corps) Camps

1. Original train ticket along with a copy of the same.
2. Official letter from NCC Officer or Institute head confirming the request for change
3. ID proof of the original cadets
4. ID proof of the new cadets
5. An application letter along with PNR number, Train Number, Journey date and clearly specified reason for the change

Conclusion

Railway passengers need to change the details in the train ticket due to many unavoidable reasons. There are changes in the plan where it is important that someone else travels instead of us. Thankfully Indian Railways has put in certain criterias to make these changes possible.

These changes are subject to certain restrictions especially around the reason for the change and the things you can change in the train ticket. By being aware of these restrictions and the time requirement for these changes we can smoothly make appropriate changes in our train ticket.

RailMitra, your best friend on the train, tries to assist you with its superfast and smooth railway services. So , if you need to make changes in passenger details of the rail ticket, don’t panic. Follow the rules, gather your documents and visit the railway counter in time.