Indian Railways Announces 20 Percent Discount on Return Fare for Festivals
New Delhi is strategically addressing the annual passenger surge during the Diwali and Chhath festivals with a new, experimental initiative aimed at promoting sustainable and equitable travel. Indian Railways has introduced the Round Trip Package scheme, offering a substantial 20% discount on the base fare of return tickets when booked in conjunction with an onward journey. This move is more than a simple fare reduction; it represents a data-driven approach to traffic management, designed to redistribute the peak travel load, ensure hassle-free bookings for all citizens, and enhance the overall efficiency of the rail network. By encouraging passengers to plan their entire trip in advance, this scheme helps to reduce the last-minute chaos that often burdens the system, leading to a smoother and more dignified travel experience for everyone, regardless of gender or social standing.
The scheme’s implementation comes at a crucial time as millions of migrant workers and families travel to their hometowns during the festive season. The offer is valid for onward journeys scheduled between October 13 and October 26, 2025, and return journeys from November 17 to December 1, 2025. This extended window allows for greater flexibility and reduces the concentration of travel demand on a few specific dates, which in turn minimises the need for extra, often less energy-efficient, trains. A key feature of the scheme is that the usual 60-day advance reservation period will not apply to the discounted return journey, providing passengers with the flexibility to secure their entire itinerary in one go. Bookings are set to open from August 14, 2025, through both online platforms and reservation counters, ensuring broad accessibility for all commuters.
To avail of the discount, passengers must book both the onward and return journeys for the same set of confirmed passengers, in the same class, and for the same origin-destination pair. The rebate is strictly on the base fare of the return ticket, and the booking must be made using the same mode (online or at a counter). Notably, the scheme is an all-inclusive offering, valid for all classes and trains, including special festive services, with the exception of those operating under the Flexi-fare system. This broad applicability ensures that the benefits are distributed across the passenger base, fostering a more equitable ticketing environment.
By incentivising early and planned travel, Indian Railways is promoting a more eco-friendly approach to mass transit. A well-utilised and efficient rail system is inherently a more sustainable mode of transport compared to road or air travel, which have significantly higher carbon footprints per passenger. This experimental scheme aims to achieve dual benefits: easing passenger discomfort during one of the busiest periods of the year and simultaneously enhancing the operational efficiency and sustainability of the railway network. The non-refundable nature of the tickets under this scheme is a practical measure to prevent speculative bookings and ensure that available seats are genuinely used by those who need them, thereby making the entire system more transparent and efficient. This progressive policy is a step towards building a modern, responsive, and sustainable national transport infrastructure that serves all citizens equally.
