Indian Railways To Launch Loyalty Program: Free Tea, Meals, Tickets And Lounge Access For Passengers

Railways plans to introduce a reward-based loyalty scheme to attract passengers and compete with budget airlines.

Indian Railways is preparing to introduce a new loyalty program for passengers, offering several benefits such as free food, ticket discounts and lounge access during train journeys. The initiative aims to encourage more people to choose rail travel, especially those who prefer short-distance flights.

Under the proposed scheme, passengers travelling frequently by train will earn reward points based on the distance they travel. These points can later be used for multiple services, including booking tickets, ordering food during journeys or accessing premium facilities at railway stations.

Reward Points For Every Journey

According to the plan, passengers will receive Rail Points for every kilometre travelled. The longer the journey, the more points a passenger will accumulate.

These points will be credited directly to the traveller’s Aadhaar-linked IRCTC account, which will function similarly to a digital wallet. The system is designed to minimise the chances of fraud while making redemption simple and transparent.

Passengers will be able to use these points like cash while booking tickets or availing services.

Free Food, Lounges And Ticket Upgrades

The loyalty program is expected to offer several additional benefits for regular passengers. These include:

• Free tea, breakfast and meals during journeys
• Access to luxury lounges at railway stations
• Discounts on ticket fares
• Possibility of getting free train tickets using accumulated points
• Option to upgrade tickets from third AC to second AC or from second AC to first AC
• Priority options such as lower berths for eligible passengers

Passengers may also be able to order food through e-catering services using their reward points.

Pilot Launch On Premium Trains

The scheme is expected to be launched initially as a pilot project on premium trains such as Vande Bharat and Tejas Express. If the response is positive, the program may later be expanded to other mail and express trains across the country.

Railway officials believe the initiative could become one of the largest loyalty programs in the world, potentially covering thousands of railway stations and millions of passengers every day.

The program is also expected to help railways understand passenger travel patterns better and improve services while making train travel more attractive compared to short-haul flights and luxury bus services.