Indian Railways Unveils 'Round Trip Package' with 20% Discount on Festive Season Travel

New Delhi – In a strategic move to manage the surge in passenger traffic during the upcoming festive season, Indian Railways has introduced a new, experimental scheme called the "Round Trip Package for Festival Rush." The initiative offers a significant 20% rebate on the base fare of the return journey for passengers who book both legs of their trip together.

The scheme, which aims to ensure hassle-free bookings and optimize train utilization, is particularly targeted at travelers planning to visit their hometowns for Diwali and Chhath Puja. According to a Railway Board circular, bookings will open on August 14, 2025.

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Key Details and Eligibility:

Discount: Passengers will receive a 20% rebate on the base fare of the return journey only.

Booking Period: Bookings for the onward journey can be made for travel between October 13 and October 26, 2025. The return journey must be scheduled for travel between November 17 and December 1, 2025.

How to Book: Both onward and return tickets must be booked at the same time using the same mode (online or at a reservation counter). The "connecting journey" feature can be used for the return leg.

Eligibility: To qualify, both tickets must be confirmed for the same set of passengers, same class of travel, and the same origin-destination pair. The passenger details on both tickets must be identical.

Exclusions: The offer is valid for all classes and special trains, but it will not be applicable to trains with flexi-fare pricing, such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, and Duronto.

Important Conditions: Tickets booked under this package are strictly non-refundable and non-modifiable. The discount cannot be combined with any other concessions, such as passes or vouchers.

This new scheme is expected to encourage passengers to plan their trips in advance, helping to redistribute peak traffic and ensure a smoother travel experience during one of the busiest periods of the year. The Railway Board has directed zonal railways to ensure wide publicity of the scheme to maximize passenger awareness.