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Can I amend an Advance train ticket?

Yes! You can amend your Advance train ticket if you’re not able to use it. This means you’ll be able to exchange it for another Advance ticket with exactly the same journey details for a different date or time.

Advance tickets are non refundable, so if you need to change when you’re travelling, here’s what to do.

What you need to do

  • Book your new Advance ticket for the date and time you’d like to travel, using the conditions below
  • Email us your original and new booking reference numbers
  • If you’ve collected your ticket from a station machine or it was posted to you, we’ll need an image of your ticket too
  • For tickets already collected, you’ll need to cut your ticket diagonally across the centre before you take the photo so it can’t be used again
  • There’s no need to do this if you have an eTicket or haven’t collected your tickets from the station yet.

Conditions of Advance ticket amendment

  • We can only amend your Advance train ticket if your original and replacement bookings were made through Railsmartr.co.uk. If you’ve booked with another retailer, you’ll need to approach them directly
  • Your new journey should be between the same two stations
  • Your ticket must also be for the same route and train operator (eg. ‘Avanti West Coast only’)
  • You’ll need to contact us before your original train departs
  • We’ll refund the cost of the cheaper ticket. So if your new Advance ticket costs less than your old one, we’ll refund the cost of your new one
  • You can book any class of accommodation (First Class or Standard Class) regardless of your original booking
  • Railcards can be applied to either booking – you’ll be refunded the amount you paid or the cost of the cheaper ticket.

Did you use split tickets? Don’t worry if they’ve been split at different stations, or if one booking contains split tickets and the other doesn’t. All that matters is that your origin and final destination stations are the same.

Do you have a different type of ticket? Find out more about how to refund your Anytime, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak tickets, what to do if your train was cancelled, seeking compensation if your train was delayed, claiming partial refunds for your return journey or for refunding other ticket types on our refunds help page.