How to Change Boarding Station After Booking

Plans change. Maybe you drove to a city closer to an intermediate station, or maybe the original boarding station is inconvenient. Indian Railways allows you to change the boarding point on your booked ticket, within certain conditions.

Rules for Changing Boarding Station

1. The new boarding station must be on the route of the same train (between the original boarding station and the destination)
2. You can only move the boarding point forward (closer to the destination) or to an earlier station on the route — but the new station must be a scheduled stop for your train
3. The change must be made at least 24 hours before the train's scheduled departure from the original boarding station
4. Only one change is allowed per ticket
5. No fare adjustment — you pay the original fare regardless of the boarding point change
6. Available for both e-tickets and counter tickets (process differs)

How to Change Online (E-Tickets)

1. Log in to irctc.co.in
2. Go to My Transactions > Booked Ticket History
3. Find the ticket
4. Click "Boarding Point Change" or "Modify"
5. Select the new boarding station from the dropdown (only valid stations on the route are shown)
6. Confirm the change
7. You'll receive an updated SMS and email with the new boarding point

The change is reflected in the system immediately. The TTE's chart is updated.

How to Change at Counter

1. Visit any PRS counter with your original ticket
2. Request a boarding point change
3. Provide the new boarding station name
4. The clerk processes the change and updates the ticket
5. Get a new/modified ticket printout

Time Limit

The change must be made at least 24 hours before departure from the original boarding station. After this window, no change is possible.

Example: If your original boarding station departure is at 4 PM on March 27th, you must change the boarding point before 4 PM on March 26th.

What Changes and What Doesn't

Changes: The boarding station on your ticket record and chart Doesn't change: Your destination, class, berth, fare, PNR number, or any other detail

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: You booked Delhi to Mumbai on Rajdhani. Your meeting got moved to Kota. You change the boarding point from New Delhi to Kota Junction. You board at Kota and travel to Mumbai on the same berth. Scenario 2: You booked Kolkata to Delhi on Rajdhani. You need to board at Gaya instead of Howrah (closer to your current location). Change boarding from Howrah to Gaya. Scenario 3: You booked Chennai to Delhi. You realize you can board at Nagpur (intermediate station closer to where you'll be). Change boarding to Nagpur.

Important Notes

Your berth is reserved from the original station. When you change boarding to a later station, your berth stays reserved from the original boarding point. No one else gets it for the stretch you're not using. The seat/berth remains the same. Your coach and berth number don't change with a boarding point change. Fare is not refunded for unused distance. If you change from Delhi to Agra (saving 200 km), you still pay the Delhi fare. No partial refund. Tatkal tickets: Boarding point change is NOT allowed for Tatkal tickets. After chart preparation: Change is still possible if within the 24-hour window, but the chart update may not reflect immediately on the printed chart at the coach door. Show the TTE your updated e-ticket SMS.

What If You Miss the Change Window?

If you forgot to change the boarding point and the 24-hour window has passed:

• Board at the original station as per your ticket
• If you can't reach the original station, board at any intermediate station — but inform the TTE immediately. They may accept it informally, or they may charge a nominal fee
• There's no official provision for post-deadline boarding point changes

Check your train's route and intermediate stations on indianrail.app to identify the best boarding point before making the change.