Railways in India introduces 20% discount on return tickets under the 'Festival Rush Round Trip Package'
The Ministry of Railways has announced an experimental initiative called the "Round Trip Package for Festival Rush" scheme. The aim of this scheme is to ease passenger congestion and ensure smoother travel during the upcoming festive season, particularly around Diwali and Chhath.
Key details of the scheme are as follows:
- Discount: Passengers booking confirmed tickets for both onward and return trips together will receive a 20% rebate on the base fare of the return journey.
- Booking Dates: Bookings for the scheme will open on August 14, 2025.
- Travel Periods:
- Onward journeys must be scheduled between October 13 and October 26, 2025.
- Return journeys must be scheduled between November 17 and December 1, 2025.
- Return Booking: The return journey must be booked using the connecting journey feature; advance reservation period rules do not apply for return tickets under this scheme.
- Applicability: The scheme applies to all classes and trains, except those operating with flexi-fare pricing. Both tickets must be confirmed; waitlisted bookings are not eligible.
- Booking Mode: Tickets for onward and return journeys must be booked through the same method (online via IRCTC or at counters).
- Other Conditions:
- No additional fare during charting will be charged.
- Concessions like passes or vouchers are not allowed on return journeys under this scheme.
- No refunds or modifications are allowed post-booking.
The scheme is not applicable to journeys scheduled before October 13, 2025, or after December 1, 2025. It also does not include the use of rail travel coupons, vouchers, passes, and PTOs for the discounted return trip. Furthermore, the scheme does not allow the use of UPI for booking tickets.
The goal of the Round Trip Package for Festival Rush scheme is to manage crowding, facilitate hassle-free bookings, improve utilization of trains including special trains, and spread travel demand over a broader period during the festival rush. This scheme aims to better distribute passenger traffic and optimize rail resources during a peak travel season.
The Railway Board has directed zonal railways to ensure wide publicity through the press, media, and station announcements to inform passengers about the scheme.
- The Round Trip Package for Festival Rush scheme introduction by the Ministry of Railways is designed to promote a seamless lifestyle during the festive season, especially around Diwali and Chhath, by managing congestion, optimizing resources, and spreading travel demand in the finance sector, including defi market and travel industry.
- This travel scheme, launched by the Ministry of Railways, not only eases congestion for passengers during the upcoming festive season but also encourages holistic vacation planning, as passengers can book confirmed tickets for both onward and return trips together, receiving a 20% rebate on the base fare of the return journey, making it an attractive option for travel financing.
