(MENAFN- Live Mint) As the festive season approaches, Indian Railways has introduced new travel rules for passengers. With Diwali, Chhath Puja, and Dhanteras just days away, the festive travel rush must have already begun. To make journeys smoother, Indian Railways has announced new rules, offers and restrictions- from ticket bookings to platform access and discounts. Here's what travellers need to know before heading home.

1. Restrictions on platform tickets in Delhi, Mumbai, Gujarat stations

Key railway stations in Delhi-NCR, Maharashtra and Gujarat will no longer provide platform tickets until October 28, 2025.

Restrictions on platform tickets at key Delhi, Mumbai, Gujarat stations

Delhi: The Northern Railway announced that the sale of platform tickets will be temporarily suspended at five railway stations – New Delhi, Delhi Jn, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Anand Vihar Terminal and Ghaziabad railway station – from October 15 to October 28.

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Maharashtra, Mumbai: The Western Railways temporarily restricted the sale of Platform Ticket at Mumbai's Bandra Terminus from October 15 to October 31.

Railways also announced a temporary suspension of platform ticket sales at stations in the Mumbai division, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Dadar, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), Thane, Kalyan, and Panvel, from October 16 to October 28.

Gujarat: The sale of Platform Ticket will be suspended at Vapi, Surat and Udhna stations from October 15 to October 31.

2. Indian Railways: List of items strictly prohibited for safe travel

Indian Railways issued a safety advisory before Diwali and Chhath Puja, urging passengers not to carry firecrackers and flammable items on trains.

Prohibited items include firecrackers, gas cylinders, kerosene, stoves, petrol, diesel, and matchboxes. "Indian Railways urges passengers to avoid carrying inflammable items during travel," the Ministry of Railways posted on X.

Violators would face up to three years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to INR 1,000 in case of rule violation, the report added.

Also Read | Railways starts door-to-door cargo service, aims to shift cargo movement
Indian Railways: List of items strictly prohibited for safe travel 3. Change in advance ticket booking window

The Indian Railways reduced the time limit for advance reservations by trains from 120 days to 60 days last year. This means that the booking will open 60 days prior to the scheduled travel date.

"With effect from 01.11.2024, the ARP [Advance Reservation Period] will be of 60 days [excluding the day of journey] and bookings will be done accordingly," the Ministry of Railways had said in a notice in November last year.

For instance, the booking window for a train which runs on November 15 will open at 12:20 am on September 16.

However, on the day booking opens, one will not be able to book tickets between 8 am to 12 pm on Bookmytrain. For some special trains, this period may be a little less.

Also Read | Rail freight surges to record high on steel, coal demand 4. Link Aadhaar numbers with IRCTC accounts

Passengers are encouraged to link their Aadhaar numbers with their IRCTC accounts. Only those having IRCTC accounts (website/app) that have been validated by Aadhaar are able to purchase train tickets. Read: How to link Aadhaar to IRCTC account for booking trai

Starting October 1, 2025 - during the first 15 minutes of booking (on the day booking opens), when demand is usually at peak, anyone without Aadhaar authentication will not be able to make any reservations, several reports claimed.

Also Read | Indian Railways' new rules from 1 July: Tatkal booking, fare hike, more changes

Tatkal ticket booking on IRCTC Website, App: In June this year, the Indian Railways announced key modifications in the Tatkal ticket booking system. The new provision allowed only users authenticated with Aadhaar to book Tatkal tickets through IRCTC's official website and mobile app - effective 1st July 2025.

Further, Aadhaar-based OTP authentication was made mandatory for Tatkal bookings made online starting July 15, 2025.

System-Based OTP Authentication at PRS Counters and Agents: Tatkal tickets booked at computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters and through authorised agents will require OTP authentication sent to the mobile number provided by the user at the time of booking. This provision also came into effect from July 15, 2025.

Booking Time Restriction for Authorised Agents: To prevent bulk bookings during the critical opening period, authorised ticketing agents of Indian Railways will not be permitted to book opening-day Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of the booking window. For AC classes, this restriction applies from 10:00 am to 10:30 am, and for non-AC classes, from 11:00 am to 11:30 am.

5. 20% discount on return journey tickets

The Indian Railways launched the“Festival Round Trip Scheme " to ease passenger traffic during the festive season.

Under this scheme, passengers booking both onward and return journeys within the prescribed travel periods will receive a rebate of 20 percent on the base fare of the return journey ticket only. But conditions apply:

Eligibility: 1. The scheme is applicable only when both onward and return journey tickets are booked for the same passengers, in same class and for the same Origin–Destination (O–D) pair.

2. Onward Journey Travel Period should be between: 13th October 2025 to 26th October 2025.

3. Return Journey Travel Period should be between: 17th November 2025 to 1st December 2025.

4. Booking must be done in the same mode for both tickets - either entirely online (IRCTC website/app) or entirely at PRS counters.

5. The return journey booking must be initiated from the menu option available on the onward journey's“Booking confirmation page” or“Booking history”.

6. Only confirmed tickets in both directions are eligible. RAC/Waitlist/Partial Confirmed bookings are not covered under this scheme.

7. Allowed for all classes and in all trains, including special trains, except trains having Flexi fare.

Fare and Discount: Full fare (without discount) will be charged at the time of onward journey booking. The rebate of 20% on the base fare for return journey will be applied at the time of return journey booking. Rebate on the return journey ticket will be subject to the availability of confirmed seats/berths.

No refund: Cancellation is allowed, but no refund will be granted under this scheme for either leg.

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