Indian Railways Launches 20% Return Fare Rebate for Round Trip Festival Package

To ease festival rush and ensure better utilization of trains during peak travel months, the Indian Railways has launched an experimental Round Trip Package scheme offering a 20% rebate on the base fare of the return journey. This initiative aims to spread out passenger traffic, reduce last-minute booking pressure, and make travel more convenient during the festive season.

Bookings for the scheme will open on August 14, 2025, for onward journeys between October 13–26, 2025, with return journeys scheduled between November 17–December 1, 2025.

Key Features of the Round Trip Package Scheme

• Applicable for Same Passengers Both Ways
• The return journey must be booked for the same set of passengers as the onward journey.

Booking Timeline

• Onward Journey: Train start dates between October 13–26, 2025.
• Return Journey: Train start dates between November 17–December 1, 2025.
• Advance Reservation Period (ARP): Not applicable for the return journey under this scheme.

Discount Structure

• 20% rebate on the base fare of the return journey only.

Eligibility & Conditions

• Confirmed tickets in both directions.
• Same class and origin-destination (O-D) pair for onward and return journeys.
• Valid for all classes and all trains (including special trains) except Flexi fare trains.
• No refunds for tickets booked under the scheme.
• No modifications allowed to either journey.

Booking Mode

Both onward and return tickets must be booked via the same mode,

• Online (IRCTC website/app)
• Reservation counters
• Exclusions
• No concession tickets, passes, travel coupons, vouchers, or PTOs allowed.
• No additional fare will be collected during charting for these PNRs.

Objective of the Scheme

The Indian Railways introduced this package to,

• Avoid last-minute booking rush during festival travel.
• Encourage advance planning by offering financial incentives.
• Ensure two-way train utilization, including return journeys after peak festival dates.
• Manage crowd distribution across a longer time window instead of concentrated festival-day spikes.