If you are holding a confirmed reservation ticket and for some reasons you cannot travel or have a change in plans, you can transfer it to another person or your family member.
Here are the guidelines to avail the facility:
“Chief Reservation Supervisor of important stations are authorised by Railway Administration to permit the change of name of a passenger having a seat or berth reserved in his name,” says a statement released by the Indian railways.
If the passenger is a government servant, proceeding on duty, he/she can make written request 24 hours before the scheduled departure of trains. The name on the ticket will be changed to another person’s name for whom the ticket transfer is sought.
A passenger can also transfer his confirmed ticket to another member of his family, meaning, father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, husband and wife. He/she just needs to make a request in writing 24 hours before the scheduled departure of the train.
Another condition applies where the passengers are students of a recognised educational institute. In such a case, the head of the institution can make a written request 48 hours before the scheduled departure. The reservation made in the name of any student can be transferred to any other student of the same institute.
If the passengers are members of a marriage party, then any person deemed to be head of the group can make a written request 48 hours before the scheduled departure of the train. The reservation made in the name of any member of the marriage party can be transferred to any other person, in this way.
The facility can also be availed by a group of cadets of National Cadet Corps who have confirmed reservation ticket/tickets but need to transfer it/them to any other cadet. Any officer, who is head of such a group, can make a written request 24 hours before the train’s departure.
Indian Railways has further said that such request will be granted only once. However, in case of students, marriage party and NCC cadets, such request for change in excess of 10 per cent of the total strength of group shall not be granted.
(Source: The Indian Express)