New Delhi: To tackle the heavy passenger rush during the upcoming festival season, the Ministry of Railways has announced an experimental “Round Trip Package” scheme offering discounted fares on return journeys. The initiative is aimed at making bookings smoother, spreading passenger traffic more evenly, and improving train utilisation in both directions.

What is the Round Trip Package?

Under the scheme, passengers booking both onward and return tickets for the same set of travellers will be eligible for a 20% rebate on the base fare of the return journey. Passenger details for both legs of the trip must match, and tickets must be booked for the same class and origin-destination pair.

The scheme is valid for all classes and trains, including special trains, but excludes services with Flexi fare. Both onward and return tickets must be booked through the same mode.

When does booking start?

Ticket sales open on 14 August 2025 for onward journeys starting between 13 October 2025 and 26 October 2025. The return trip can be booked for travel between 17 November 2025 and 1 December 2025 using the ‘connecting journey’ feature. Notably, the reservation period will not apply to the return journey.

No refunds or changes allowed

The Ministry has clarified that tickets booked under this scheme are non-refundable and cannot be modified for either leg of the journey. Additionally, no other discounts, travel coupons, vouchers, passes, or PTOs will apply to the return ticket.

Why the scheme?

In its statement, the Ministry said the initiative is designed “to avoid rush, ensure hassle-free booking as well as to facilitate passengers and redistribute peak traffic during the festival season, ensuring utilisation of trains in both directions.”

With festival travel demand set to surge in the coming months, the Round Trip Package is expected to offer passengers both savings and convenience, while helping Railways manage the seasonal rush more efficiently.