Indian Railways offers round trip package, 20% return fare rebate to ease Diwali–Chhath travel rush

In a move aimed at reducing the annual festival travel rush and ensuring smoother passenger experiences, Indian Railways has announced an experimental ‘Round Trip Package’ scheme offering a 20% rebate on the base fare of return journeys.

The offer is targeted at travellers planning extended breaks around Diwali and Chhath festivals, with onward trips scheduled between 13 October and 26 October 2025 and return travel between 17 November and 1 December 2025.

The initiative, unveiled by the Ministry of Railways on Saturday, seeks to redistribute passenger loads across a longer travel window while boosting train utilisation in both directions, including on special festival trains.

Five-Week Family Break Incentive

For passengers, the scheme presents an opportunity to combine both major festivals into one extended trip, potentially spanning five weeks, without the usual last-minute ticket scramble. 

The rebate will be available only when booking confirmed onward and return tickets together for the same set of passengers, class, and origin-destination pair.

Bookings for the onward leg will open on 14 August 2025, with the return tickets to be reserved via the ‘connecting journey' feature. Notably, the usual 60-day advance reservation period will not apply to the return segment, giving travellers more flexibility.

Terms and Restrictions

While the rebate covers all classes and applies to all trains except those with Flexi fares, several restrictions will govern the package:

• No ticket modifications or refunds will be allowed once booked.

• The passenger list for the return trip must match the onward journey exactly.

• Tickets must be booked through the same mode, either entirely online or entirely at reservation counters.

• Concessional travel passes, vouchers, or other discounts will not be admissible for the return leg under this scheme.

• The 20% rebate will apply only to the base fare of the return journey, with no adjustments or additional collections made during charting.

The Ministry emphasised that the scheme is part of a broader effort to manage peak-season crowding more effectively. If the experimental model proves successful, similar round-trip packages could be rolled out for other high-demand travel seasons in the future.