In a bid to ease travel congestion and encourage advance bookings during the upcoming festive season, Indian Railways has launched a new scheme offering a 20% discount on return fares for round-trip tickets. The initiative, titled the “Round Trip Package for Festival Rush,” is aimed at passengers traveling during peak periods around Diwali and Chhath.
- Booking Start Date: August 14, 2025
- Onward Journey Period: October 13 to October 26, 2025
- Return Journey Period: November 17 to December 1, 2025
- Discount: 20% rebate on the base fare of the return journey only
To avail the offer, passengers must book both onward and return tickets together for the same origin-destination pair, travel class, and passenger details. The return ticket must be booked using the “connecting journey” feature after the onward ticket is confirmed. The scheme is applicable only to confirmed tickets and excludes Flexi fare trains such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, and Duronto.
- Valid for all classes and trains, including special trains
- Tickets must be booked through the same mode—either online or offline
- No modifications, cancellations, or refunds allowed
- No additional discounts, coupons, or passes applicable on return bookings
The Railway Ministry stated that the scheme is designed to redistribute passenger traffic, reduce overcrowding, and improve train utilization in both directions during the festive season. By incentivizing round-trip bookings, the initiative aims to streamline travel planning and offer financial relief to passengers heading home for celebrations.
For more details, passengers are advised to check official booking platforms and announcements at railway stations.
