The Indian Railways is introducing a new scheme called the "Round Trip Package for Festival Rush" to manage passenger traffic and improve the travel experience during the upcoming festive season. This initiative offers a 20% discount on the base fare of the return journey for passengers who book confirmed tickets for both onward and return trips. The scheme aims to ease crowding, facilitate hassle-free bookings, and ensure better utilization of train services, including special trains, in both directions.
According to a circular issued by the Railway Board on August 8, 2025, the discount applies when passengers book confirmed tickets for the same passengers, class, and origin-destination route. Bookings under this scheme will commence on August 14, 2025. The onward journey must be scheduled between October 13 and October 26, 2025, while the return journey must be booked using the connecting journey option for travel between November 17 and December 1, 2025. The advance reservation period (ARP) rules will not apply to the return trip booking.
The "Round Trip Package" is available for all classes and trains, except those with flexi-fare pricing, such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, and Tejas. The scheme is applicable only to confirmed tickets. Both onward and return tickets must be booked through the same mode, either online or at the counter. If there is any extra fare during charting, it will not be charged.
Several conditions apply to avail of the discount. No fare refund is permissible for tickets booked under this scheme. Also, no discount, rail travel coupons, voucher-based bookings, passes, or PTOs are allowed during return journey booking on concessional fares. Modifications or additional concessions are not permitted under this offer.
The Ministry of Railways aims to redistribute peak traffic, ensure hassle-free booking, and facilitate passengers by launching this scheme. It also aims to ensure the utilization of trains in both directions during the peak festival seasons. The Railway Board has instructed all zonal railways to widely publicize this scheme through press releases, media coverage, and announcements at stations.
This initiative is expected to benefit passengers planning extended vacations with their families during the Diwali and Chhath festival season. By offering a 20% discount on return tickets, the Railways aims to encourage passengers to book in advance and stagger their travel plans, reducing the heavy rush typically experienced during this period.
In summary, the Indian Railways' "Round Trip Package for Festival Rush" is an experimental scheme designed to ease passenger congestion and improve travel during the festive season. By offering a 20% discount on return tickets, the Railways hopes to manage passenger traffic more effectively, ensure hassle-free bookings, and optimize the utilization of train services. The scheme is open to all classes and trains, excluding those with flexi-fare pricing, and is subject to certain terms and conditions.
