Indian Railway Season Ticket
Railway Season Ticket Rules
Season ticket (AS ON 1.5.07)
1.(i)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.
| Season Ticket Fare List | Click Here |
| Railway Season Ticket Form Monthly – Railway Season Ticket Form Quarterly – Railway Season Ticket Form Half Yearly – Railway Season Ticket Form Yearly (PDF Download) | Click Here |
Indian Railway Season Ticket Distance Coverage
(ii) 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issued only on those sections where they were being issued prior to 1951 (except on those sections where they have been withdrawn due to lack of demand).
Railway Season Ticket Identity Card (ID)
(iii) Identity Card :A photo Identity Card, alongwith a plastic cover, is issued to every season ticket holder at a nominal cost of Re. 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 & Signature of the holder. Identity Card Number must be written on Season Ticket. It is necessary for the passenger to produce the Identity Card alongwith 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 & correctly entered on the Identity Card and the photograph firmly pasted thereon. 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 Licence, 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, alongwith season ticket, without which the season ticket will be invalid and the passenger will be treated as without ticket.
Season Ticket Validity Period
(iv) 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/Superfast trains, they are valid for travel by only those Mail/Express/Superfast 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.
Railway Season Ticket Renewal Procedure
(v) 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.
Indian Railway Season Ticket Super Fast Surcharge Ticket
(vi) Superfast Surcharge Ticket: Wherever permitted by Railway Administration, the passenger can travel in unreserved coaches of Superfast trains also. In such a case, he is required to purchase the Superfast Surcharge ticket for each journey in advance. For the convenience of passengers who want to travel regularly by Superfast trains, the Railways also issue the Monthly/Quarterly Superfast Surcharge tickets on demand. The superfast surcharge will, however, not be levied on season ticket holders travelling by those superfast trains, which have total journey less than 325 kms from train originating to destination station.
Season Ticket Refund Rules
(vii) Refund: Refund on unused or partially used season tickets is not admissible under any circumstances.
Railway Season Tickets to students
2. Season tickets to students: Season tickets to students are issued for First & 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 under S. No. 4 and 4 (c) (8) of IRCA Coaching Tariff NO. 25, Part I (Vol. II) 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.
Note: Season tickets to students of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes shall be issued as under: –
(i) MSTs: On payment of 50% below the normal Student MST fares, and
(ii) QSTs: On payment of 2.7 times of the concessional fares of MSTs vide (i) above.
Railway Season Ticket for School Students Free
3. 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’. These free MSTs are issued subject to the following conditions: –
(1)Only MSTs are issued and QSTs are not issued.
(2)As in the case of concessional student MSTs, these are also issued upto maximum of 150 Kms.
(3)These are issued for second class only and are not valid for travel in any Mail/Express train, including superfast train.
(4)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)
(5)The free MSTs are issued subject to all other conditions applicable for issue of concessional MSTs to students.
(6)The concessional student MSTs/QSTs continue to be issued on demand as per rules.
Procedure for booking of Paperless Unreserved Journey tickets, Season tickets and Platform tickets.
- Download the Mobile application from Google Play Store or Windows Store.
- Register by providing Mobile Number, Name, City, Train Type, Class, Ticket Type, Number of Passengers and Frequently travel routes.
- Payment has to be made using R-Wallet. Upon successful registration, R-Wallet will be opened with Zero Balance.
- Value can be topped up in R-Wallet by tendering cash across the nominated counter and also online on website “utsonmobile.indianrail.gov.in”.
- Passenger can book single Journey ticket, Platform ticket as well as season tickets by choosing appropriate option in the App.
- The Smart Phone should be GPS enabled to book single journey ticket and Platform ticket.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of Railway Season Tickets (India)—thanks for bringing it up!
Contents
What Is a Railway Season Ticket?
- A Season Ticket—sometimes called MST (Monthly Season Ticket), QST (Quarterly Season Ticket), or beyond—is designed for regular commuters traveling between two fixed stations. It offers unlimited journeys within its validity period.
- Tickets are available for:
- Monthly (MST)
- Quarterly
- Half-yearly
- Annual durations
Pricing & Fare Rules
- Second Class Monthly Season Ticket costs equivalent to about 15 times the single-journey ordinary fare, regardless of travel distance.
- First Class MST = ₨4 × Second Class MST fare.
- Quarterly = ₨2.7 × MST; Half-Yearly = ₨5.4 × MST; Yearly = ₨10.8 × MST
- Children’s tickets are priced at half the adult fare.
Distance Limits & Extensions
- Typically valid up to 150 km, even for suburban/non-suburban routes. Exceptions exist where tickets were issued for longer distances before 1951
- Some exceptions: South Central Railway supports select routes up to 160 km (e.g., Hyderabad–Warangal, Kacheguda–Wanaparthi, etc.).
- As of May 2025, Zone-specific voices (e.g., in Kerala) are urging railway authorities to increase the 150 km cap to 250 km to serve longer-distance commuters better.
Validity, Travel Conditions, & Restrictions
- Valid only for unreserved coaches on passenger trains. Not valid for reserved, AC, sleeper, or mail/express unless explicitly permitted.
- First Class MST holders are not allowed in AC coaches or reserved coaches unless that coach has “de-reserved” status.
- Holders can travel on superfast trains only after paying supplementary charges. Some allowances exist for trains up to 325 km without extra charges.
Identity Requirement
- Issued alongside a Photo Identity Card, which costs ₹1 and is valid for 5–7 years. It contains your personal details and must be carried during travel.
- Government-issued IDs (PAN, Passport, Driving Licence, Voter ID, Credit Card with photo) can be used instead; the document number must be noted on the ticket and presented in original during travel
Renewal, Refund, and Flexibility
- Renewal can begin 10 days before expiry, but the new ticket becomes valid only from the expiry date.
- No refunds are allowed on unused or partially used tickets.
- Only one season ticket can be held per passenger. Multiple tickets for overlapping routes or distances are considered invalid.
One-Way or Return?
- A single season ticket covers both up and down journeys between the two stations. No separate ticket needed for return trips.
Booking Made Easy: Using the UTS App
- You can book both paperless and paper tickets via the UTS mobile app:
- Just select “Season Ticket”, choose from/to stations, class, and duration (up to 1 year wow!).
- Pay within the app and display the ticket digitally—no need to queue or print unless you choose to.
Summary Table
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Ticket Types | Monthly, Quarterly, Half-yearly, Yearly |
| Pricing | MST ≈ 15× single fare; First class = 4× Second; Q = 2.7×, H = 5.4×, Y = 10.8× |
| Distance Caps | Standard: 150 km; Selected exceptions up to 160 km |
| Travel Validity | Unreserved coaches only; special condition for express/superfast |
| Identity Requirement | Photo ID card (₹1) or govt-issued ID required |
| Renewal & Refund | Renewal allowed 10 days early; no refunds |
| Return Trips | Covered automatically with same season ticket |
| Booking Platform | UTS App (paperless or printable) |
Final Thoughts
A Railway Season Ticket is arguably the most cost-effective, convenient choice for daily commuters—especially if you’re traveling over long distances regularly. Just ensure:
- Your route is within the valid distance.
- You carry proper ID.
- You’re ready to renew on time.
If you’d like help checking fare rates, eligibility for student or concessional passes, or assistance using the UTS app from your location in Naugachhia—or anywhere else—just let me know!