A season ticket is one of the highly subsidized facility provided by Indian railways for the benefit of regular travelers. Passengers who are traveling frequently between ✅ specified pairs of stations are requested to avail the season ticket facility which is highly comfortable and beneficial.
Indian Railway Season Tickets
Season Tickets avoids waiting in the long queue for the purchase of tickets. Railway Season Tickets’ rules, the revised fare of a season ticket, documents needed to book season tickets, details of a season ticket to students, etc are following.
- General Rules for Railway Season Tickets
- Features of Season Tickets
- Season Tickets to Students
- Issue of Season Tickets
General Rules for Railway Season Tickets
Indian Railway made rules and methods for booking season tickets. Following are the details regarding General rules for Train Season Tickets.
Rules
- ✅ Monthly and quarterly season tickets are issued by the railway at concessional rates.
- Rules, rates and other particulars regarding issue of season tickets can be obtained by application to the Railway concerned.
- Season tickets are issued for suburban as well as non-suburban sections.
- Fares for ✅ Second Class MST is equivalent to the fares for 15 single journeys by second class (Ordinary), uniformly for all distances. Fares for First class MST continues to be four times the Second Class MST fares.
- Season tickets to ✅ children are issued at half of the adult season ticket fare.
- Quarterly Season tickets are charged at 2.7 times of the normal adult/child MST fare.
- Season tickets are issued for ✅ First and Second classes only and these tickets are valid in the class for which they are issued.
- Only ✅ one season ticket is issued to a passenger to travel between the stations serving his place of residence and place of work/studies.
- If the passenger is found with more than one season ticket to flout the distance limits, the additional season ticket will be treated as invalid.
- First class season ticket holders are ✅ not allowed to travel in AC coaches.
- On specific sections where there is sufficient demand of first class season tickets and it is not possible to attach first class chair cars, zonal railways may attach AC Chair car coaches, if available, for exclusive use of first class season ticket holders. On those sections, where there is no first class service, first class season tickets are not issued at all.
Distance
Season tickets are issued upto 150 Kms. only. Season tickets for more than 150 kms are issued only on those sections where they were being issued prior to 1951 (except on those sections where they have been withdrawn due to lack of demand).
✅ Revised Distance for Season Tickets – Indian Railway ( Updated : 2019)
Railway has extended the facility of issuing season tickets for a distance up to 160 Kms between selected pair of stations. These season tickets were so far being issued up to the maximum distance of 150 Kms. Now, Railway Board has delegated powers to General Managers of Zonal Railways to identify pair of stations and permit the issue of season tickets beyond 150 kms up to 160 kms.
Revised Distance for Season Tickets – Southern Railway (Updated 02.08.2019)
Southern Railways announced that as per extant rules, Season tickets are issued upto a maximum distance of 150 Km. Recently, Railway Board has delegated powers to General Managers of Zonal Railways to decide exemptions in the distance limit beyond 150 Km subject to maximum distance limit upto 160 Km for issue of Season Tickets over certain sections.
Season tickets can be availed from both ends in the above pairs of stations. UTS Mobile App Bookings are also facilitated for availing Season tickets in the above sections.
Revised Distance for Season Tickets – South Central Railway
Accordingly, South Central Railway has identified the following popular 12 pairs of destinations for issuing season tickets.
| Sl. No | Permitted Pair of Stations | Distance |
| 1 | Hyderabad - Warangal | 152 kms |
| 2 | Malkajgiri - Nizamabad | 157 kms |
| 3 | Kacheguda - Wanaparthi | 159 kms |
| 4 | Lingampalli - Kazipet | 155 kms |
| 5 | Warangal - Madhira. | 153 kms |
| 6 | Jangaon - Manchiryal | 155 kms |
| 7 | Chittoor - Rajampeta | 156 kms |
| 8 | Guntakal - Penukonda | 155 kms |
| 9 | Srikalahasti - Perambur | 159 kms |
| 10 | Yadgir - Vikarabad | 151 kms |
| 11 | Raichur - Kurgunta | 153 kms |
| 12 | Samalkot - Visakhapatnam. | 151 kms. |
This facility is helpful for the commuters in twin cities to travel to the destinations like Warangal, Nizamabad, Wanaparthi and Kazipet. It is also beneficial for the commuters travelling between important towns outside the twin cities. It is relevant to mention that up to distance of 150 Kms, the regular issuing of season tickets between any pair of stations will continue as per the existing procedure in vogue.
Identity Card
- A photo Identity Card, along with a plastic cover, is issued to every season ticket holder at a nominal cost of ✅ Rs.1.
- The Identity Card will be valid for 5 years or such time it gets defaced/mutilated, whichever is earlier.
- The Identity Card having ✅ Printed Card number will contain Name, Address, Age, Sex and Signature of the holder. Identity Card Number must be written on Season Ticket.
- It is necessary for the passenger to produce the Identity Card along with the season ticket, otherwise the season ticket will be invalid and the passenger will be treated as without ticket.
- It is necessary that the particulars of the passenger are properly and correctly entered on the Identity Card and the photograph firmly pasted there on.
- The Booking Clerk will put the Station Stamp in such a way that half of the stamp appears on photograph and the remaining part appears on the Identity Card.
- In addition to above, the Identity Card, Pan Card, Passport, Driving License, Voter Identity Card and Credit Card issued with photograph by any Government in India or some Government agency in India, will also be accepted as proof of identity for issue and renewal of season tickets. The serial number of such document shall be written on season ticket. While travelling, the passenger must carry this document, along with season ticket, without which the season ticket will be invalid and the passenger will be treated as without ticket.
Validity
Season tickets are not valid for travel in reserved coaches and trains.
- They are valid for travel by Passenger trains. In the case of Mail/ Express/Super fast trains, they are valid for travel by only those Mail/Express/Super fast trains where it has specifically been permitted by Railway Administration. However, they are valid for travel subject to the distance restriction otherwise applicable in individual train. The first class season ticket holders are, however, allowed to travel in first class coaches during day time only, subject to the distance restrictions applicable on the concerned train.
Renewal
Season ticket can be renewed 10 days in advance of the date of expiry.
- In such cases, it will be made valid only after the date of expiry and not from the date of renewal.
Superfast Surcharge Ticket
Wherever permitted by Railway Administration, the passenger can travel in unreserved coaches of Super fast trains also. In such a case, he is required to purchase the Super fast Surcharge ticket for each journey in advance. For the convenience of passengers who want to travel regularly by Super fast trains, the Railways also issue the Monthly/Quarterly Super fast Surcharge tickets on demand. The super fast surcharge will, however, not be levied on season ticket holders travelling by those super fast trains, which have total journey less than 325 kms from train originating to destination station.
✅ Refund
Refund on unused or partially used season tickets is not admissible under any circumstances.
Features of Season Tickets
Salient features of Season Tickets and the general Conditions for purchase of season tickets in both suburban and non suburban sections.
| Features of Season Tickets |
| Season tickets are issued for monthly, quarterly, half yearly and yearly periods. |
| Monthly Season Ticket (MST) fare is highly subsidized fare and the fare is equivalent to approximately 15 times of one way Second Class ordinary fare. They are permitted to travel in unreserved coaches of both Passenger and Mail/Express trains any number of times between specified stations. |
| Except between the above pair of stations mentioned earlier, Season tickets can be issued for a maximum distance of 150 Kms. for both suburban and non-suburban Section for general passengers as well as students. |
| Quarterly season tickets are charged at 2.7 times of monthly season ticket (MST) fare, half yearly tickets at 5.4 times of MST fare, yearly tickets at 10.8 times of MST fare. |
| Season tickets are issued to the intending passengers along with an Identity Card on realization of an amount of Rs 1/- |
| Season ticket without identity Card and photo of the holder affixed thereon is not valid. |
| Identity Card remains valid for 7 years. |
| Season tickets must bear the signature or thumb impression of the holder, in the absence of which the ticket would be treated as invalid. |
| Season ticket holders can carry luggage of 10 Kgs in 2nd Class. |
| The season tickets are not transferable. |
| Season tickets can be issued up to 10 days in advance of the date of expiry of the earlier ticket. |
| Season ticket for SC / ST students are issued at 50% of rates applicable to general students’ season tickets. |
| Season ticket holders are not permitted to travel in reserved coaches and trains governed by distance restrictions. |
| Season ticket holders can travel in unreserved coaches of certain super fast trains wherever permitted, on purchase of supplementary charge ticket. |
| Season ticket holders are permitted to travel in higher class on payment of difference of fare. |
| Season tickets can be purchased and renewed in digital mode i.e., through UTS on mobile APP. |
| Season Tickets are issued to passengers along with an ID card on realisation on Rs.1/- |
| Season Ticket holders and carry up to 10 kg luggage in Second Class |
| SC/ST students can avail season ticket at 50% of rates applicable to general students. |
Season Tickets to Students
Season tickets to students are issued for First and Second class upto the maximum distance of 150 Kms. The student monthly season tickets will be charged at ✅ half of the normal adult season ticket fare and student Quarterly Season tickets will be charged at 2.7 times of the Student MST fare. These MSTs/QSTs will be issued without any minimum charge to the students of recognised institutions subject to the condition that the age of students, to whom the tickets are issued, should not exceed 25 years in the case of student in general, 27 years in the case of students belonging to the Scheduled Castes/Tribes and 35 years in the case of Research Scholars.
Season tickets to students of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes shall be issued as under: –
- ✅ MSTs: On payment of 50% below the normal Student MST fares, and
- ✅ QSTs: On payment of 2.7 times of the concessional fares of MSTs vide (i) above.
Free MST to Students
The facility of Free Monthly Season Tickets (MSTs) is available to Boy Students studying in classes upto 10th Standard and Girl students studying in classes upto 12th standard for commuting daily between the stations serving the place of residence and school. They carry the caption ‘MILLENIUM GIFT FROM RAILWAYS’. Free MSTs are issued subject to the following conditions: –
- Only ✅ MSTs are issued and QSTs are not issued.
- As in the case of concessional student MSTs, these are also issued upto maximum of 150 Kms.
- These are issued for second class only and are not valid for travel in any Mail/Express train, including superfast train.
- No other surcharge is levied on these MSTs (Even the CIDCO surcharge applicable on Central/Western Railway for travel on specific section in Mumbai area is not leviable)
- The free MSTs are issued subject to all other conditions applicable for issue of concessional MSTs to students.
- The concessional student MSTs/QSTs continue to be issued on demand as per rules.
Issue of Season Tickets
Season tickets with stations from and to, via and fare printed on them should be indented for when the sale of such tickets to any particular station is 6 or more in a year. For other stations, ✅ blank season tickets with ‘station from’ printed on them should be stocked and issued by filling the ‘station to’, via and fare in ink
Issue of season tickets
- The rules and conditions under which season tickets are issued, as well as the ✅ names of stations at which issued, and the fares to be charged, are notified by the railway administrations in their local tariffs and guides. These tickets are serially numbered and should be accounted for in the daily ✅ train cash book-cum-summary.
- Season tickets are ✅ not transferable and should not be issued in favour of “One man of…….. …………….” or “One servant of……………………”. The name of the person in whose favour the season ticket is issued, his/her age and sex should invariably be shown on the ticket by the Booking Clerk.
- A season ticket will not be valid unless it bears the signature or left hand thumb impression of the holder. Season ticket, if used at any time by any person other than that in whose favour issued, will be forfeited and the person so using it will be liable for prosecution under section 142 of the Railways Act.
- No erasures or ✅ alterations of any kind should be made in season tickets after they have been filled in. Should passengers change their minds before leaving the booking counter as to the station or the period for which the tickets are available, their season tickets should be cancelled on collection of prescribed charges per ticket and the reasons for cancellation should be recorded thereon.
- Fresh tickets should be made out and issued on recovery of such additional charges as are due. The cancelled season tickets should be treated as ‘non-issued’ and sent to the Traffic Accounts Office duly entered in the non-issued statement.
- The date of expiry of season tickets should be stamped on the face of the ticket by a special rubber stamp indicating date, month and year.
- Season tickets expiring upto ✅ 8th of the month (inclusive) will be stamped with the date of expiry on the top left quarter, tickets expiring from ✅ 9th to 15th (inclusive) will be stamped on the bottom left quarter, tickets expiring from ✅ 16th to 23rd (inclusive) will be stamped on the top right quarter and tickets expiring from ✅ 24th to the end of the month will be stamped on the bottom right quarter of the ticket.
Season tickets available for a period of ✅ one month or three months, as the case may be, will be issued from any date in a calendar month. A Monthly season ticket issued on the ✅ 2nd of April will be available upto and inclusive of 1st May, and the one issued on 30th or 31st of January will be available upto and inclusive of the last day of February. The period of availability of season tickets issued for three months will be reckoned similarly.
Advance issue of season tickets
- Holders of season tickets are permitted to purchase fresh season tickets upto ✅ three days in advance of the date of expiry of their tickets. In such cases, the advantage of the unexpired period of the previous ticket will be given by extending the period of availability of the fresh season ticket which will be determined from the day following the date of expiry of the previous ticket.
- For example if the holder of a season ticket available upto 10th June asks for the issue of a fresh monthly season ticket on 8th June, the old ticket will be collected and a fresh monthly season ticket issued as available upto 10th July. Similarly, if the holder of a season ticket issued on 1st February and expiring on 28th February applies for the issue of a fresh season ticket on 25th February the fresh monthly season ticket will be made available upto 31st March, and so on. A reference of the previous season ticket should be given on the fresh season ticket and a cross reference of the latter should be made on the former.
FAQ
✅What is Season Ticket?
A season ticket is a ticket that grants privileges over a defined period of time.
✅How to book a Season Ticket?
To book a season ticket, you need to go to the nearest Indian Railways Station ticket counter
✅Which are all the documents required to book a Season Ticket?
Any valid ID proof that IRCTC listed, like Voters ID, Driving license, etc. To get more information about the documents Indian Railways accept, Please visit Railway official website or nearest railway counter.
