To manage the festival season rush and simplify bookings, the Railway Ministry has launched an experimental "Round Trip Package" scheme offering discounted fares. The initiative is designed to evenly distribute passenger traffic, optimise train utilisation in both directions, and benefit passengers who book their return journey within a specified time frame.
In a statement, Ministry of Railways said, "In order to avoid rush, ensure hassle free booking as well as to facilitate passengers and redistribute the peak traffic for larger range during peak festival seasons and ensure both side utilization of trains including special trains, it has been decided to formulate an experimental scheme named as Round Trip Package for festival rush on discounted fare."
What are the terms and conditions?
This scheme will be applicable for those passengers who choose their return journey during the prescribed period as detailed below:
- Under this scheme, rebates will be applicable when booked for both the onward and return journey for the same set of passengers. Passenger details of return journey will be same as of onward journey.
- The booking will be permissible only for confirmed tickets in both directions.
- Total rebates of 20% will be granted on the base fare of the return journey only.
- Booking under this scheme shall be for the same class and same origin-destination pair for both the onward and return journey.
- No refund of fare will be permissible for the tickets booked under this scheme.
- The above scheme will be allowed for all classes and in all trains, including special trains (Trains on demand), except trains having flexi fare.
- No modification will be allowed on these tickets in either of the journeys.
- No discounts, Rail travel coupons, Voucher-based bookings, Passes or PTOs etc. shall be admissible during return journey booking on concessional fare.
- Both onward and return journey tickets must be booked using the same mode either Internet (online) booking, or Counter booking at reservation offices
- No additional fare collection will be performed if any arises during charting for these PNRs.
When will ticket booking start?
The discount will be on tickets booked from August 14, and the rebate will not be applicable on flexi fare trains such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duranto, and others. "Booking start date shall be 14.08.2025 for the ARP (Advance Reservation Period) date 13th October 2025," a press statement from the Railway Ministry said.
"Onward ticket shall be booked first for the train start date between 13th October 2025 and 26th October 2025 and subsequently, return journey ticket shall be booked by using the connecting journey feature for the train start date between 17th November and 1st December 2025," it added.
It clarified that the advance reservation period (ARP), which is October 13 to October 26, will not be applicable for booking the return journey.
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