Can you change a train ticket in the UK? Fees, rules and ticket types

Yes, you usually can change train tickets in the UK, but how the change works comes down to the following factors:

• Ticket type: Advance tickets have a formal change process, whereas other common fare types - like Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak - often don’t, as they’re more flexible. These allow for cancelling and rebooking. 
• Timing: For the vast majority of tickets, you’ll need to change before the train’s scheduled departure, and often before 23:59 the day before. There are some limited ticket types, such as LNER 70-min FLEX, that let you change up to 70 minutes after your original departure (for example, if you miss the train), but these are rare.
• What you're changing: For Advance tickets, you can usually change the time and date, but not the route. Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak typically let you travel on any service for the purchased route within 2 days of the departure date, and the return is valid for a month - there’s no need to call up and change.
• Operator: While most train companies in the UK follow standardised and unified change policies, some have their own specific tickets (such as LNER’s 70-min FLEX). Third-party retailers like TrainPal tend to follow National Rail’s policies. 

Fortunately, on TrainPal, you’ll clearly see the ticket type and its specific change rules in the search results before you purchase your ticket. 

It’s worth noting, too, that changing and rebooking are two different processes. Changing means you swap to a new service and may need to pay a fee and/or fare difference. Rebooking means cancelling your ticket entirely and booking onto a new one, only paying the difference in ticket price (if your fare permits, of course).

Advance tickets can be changed, while Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak technically can’t be - these are more flexible, though, so usually don’t need to be changed. Here’s a detailed rundown:

Advance tickets

• You can change the date and time for a fee of £10 plus any fare difference right up until departure of the original booked train. 

• Route changes are not allowed with Advance tickets.

• Advance tickets are non-refundable (except if you cancel due to delays).

Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak

• You don’t need to change the time of these tickets as they aren’t tied to a specific departure. 

• Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak are valid on any service during Off-Peak hours on the date printed on the ticket. 

• If you need to change the date, you’ll need to cancel and rebook before 23:59 the day before departure. 

• There’s no fee to cancel and rebook if you follow National Rail “change of journey” mechanism - you’ll only have to pay the fare difference. 

• If you cancel and decide not to rebook, an admin fee of £5 will be deducted from your refund (except if you cancel due to delays).

Anytime

• You don’t need to change the time of these tickets as they aren’t tied to a specific train.

• Anytime Singles are valid on any service up to 2 days after the date printed on your ticket.
• Anytime Returns are valid on any service up to 5 days after the date printed on your ticket and the return within 1 month.
• Anytime Days are valid on any service on the day printed on your ticket.

• If you need to change to a date beyond the specified window for your ticket, you’ll need to cancel and rebook before 23:59 the day before departure. 

• There’s no fee to cancel and rebook if you follow National Rail's “change of journey” mechanism, you’ll only have to pay the fare difference. 

• If you cancel and decide not to rebook, there’s an admin fee of £5 (except if you cancel due to delays).

Yes, you can change the time and date for Advance, Anytime and Off-Peak/Super Off-Peak tickets - exactly how you do so varies by ticket, though.

• Advance tickets: You can swap to a different departure time, as long as you do so before your original train leaves. The fee is £10 per ticket, plus any fare difference.
• Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak and Anytime tickets: You don’t need to do anything to change the time as these are valid on any departure within a specified timeframe. 

• Advance tickets: You can swap to a different departure date, as long as you do so before your original train leaves. The fee is £10 per ticket, plus any fare difference.
• Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak: Follow the National Rail “change of journey” process, which involves cancelling and rebooking onto your new date. There’s usually no fee for rebooking, but a fare difference applies. Must be done before 23:59 the day before travel.
• Anytime: There’s no formal date change process; instead, you cancel and rebook onto your new date. Follow the National Rail “change of journey” process, which involves cancelling and rebooking onto your new date. 
  • Anytime Singles: valid for travel on any day up to 2 days after the date printed on the ticket. 
  • Anytime Returns: Outbound valid for travel on any day up to 5 days after the date printed on the ticket. Inbound is valid for travel on any day up to 1 month after the date printed on the ticket.

• Advance: £10 to change train ticket (per person), plus any difference between the original and new fare. No refund if the new fare is lower.
• Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak: Usually no fee for rebooking, but you'll pay the difference between the original and new fare. No refund if the new fare is lower. 

1. Log in to your TrainPal app.

2. Go to Bookings and find the relevant trip.

3. Select change and follow the easy steps.

4. Pay the change fee and any fare difference.

5. Receive your updated e-ticket via email and through the app.

You can also contact customer support through the contact page or online chat.

You can change most Advance tickets at a National Rail ticket office before you travel. Bring your original ticket or booking reference with you.

If you've already collected a printed ticket from a machine, self-service changes online may not be possible. In that case, your best option is to visit a ticket office or contact your retailer's customer support team directly.

• Act as early as you can. Advance fares tend to get more expensive closer to departure - the longer you leave it, the bigger the fare difference you'll end up paying on top of the £10 change fee.
• Check your ticket's validity before doing anything. Off-Peak and Anytime tickets are valid on a range of departures, not just a single time. Your ticket may already be valid for the new date or time. 
• Book a flexible ticket if your plans aren't fixed. Advance fares are usually the cheapest option, but they're also the most restrictive. If there's any chance your plans might shift, an Off-Peak or Anytime ticket may be better for you.
• Keep your booking reference handy. You’ll need this if you contact customer support to make a change or rebook.

Can I change my train after departure?

No, you must always change or rebook before the departure date or time printed on the ticket. For Advance tickets, you can change up until the booked departure time. For Off-Peak and Anytime tickets, you need to cancel and rebook before 23:59 the night before travel - that rule came into effect on 1st April 2026 and applies to both cancellations and date changes.

Can I change only one leg of a return ticket?

Yes, you can change one leg of a return ticket, but the process is different depending on the ticket type. For Advance fares, you pay a £10 change fee (per change, not per leg) plus any difference in fare. For Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets, you’ll cancel and rebook the new time or date - there’s no fee to do so, but a fare difference applies.

Is it cheaper to change or buy a new ticket?

If you have an Advance ticket and the new fare costs less than £10, then yes, it’s cheaper to buy a new ticket - you’ll just lose the one you had. For Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets, you technically always buy a new ticket - you get the original refunded to you. 

How many times can I change a ticket?

You can change a train ticket as many times as you like up until the specified cut-off time for your ticket. Just remember, though, that if you have an Advance ticket, a £10 fee applies each time you change.

Can I change the stations on my ticket?

You can’t change the origin or destination stations on an Advance ticket - if your plans have changed, you’d need to purchase an entirely new ticket (your original Advance ticket is non-refundable). As for Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets, you can follow the National Rail “change of journey” process to cancel and rebook. Fare difference applies.