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Frequent travellers who prefer to travel by train can significantly benefit from complimentary railway lounge access. Whether you’re waiting between connecting trains or seeking a quiet, comfortable space before your journey, railway lounges offer convenience and essential amenities.
While most travel credit cards offer airport lounge access, railway lounge access is not usually offered. It is usually available only on co-branded railway credit cards. Here are some of the best railway lounge access credit cards:
Top Credit Cards for Railway Lounge Access in India
IDFC FIRST Millennia Credit Card
Joining fee: ₹0
Annual/Renewal Fee: ₹0
10X rewards on birthday & on spends made after Rs. 20,000 monthly spends
Up to 3X rewards on monthly spends of up to Rs. 20,000
Product Details
- Up to 3X reward points on all UPI spends via RuPay card; 1x reward points on insurance and utility spends
- 25% off up to Rs. 100 once a month on movie tickets on District by Zomato app
- 4 complimentary railway lounge visits per quarter
- Rs. 500 gift voucher and 5% cashback on the 1st EMI transaction as welcome bonus
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver up to Rs. 200 per month on fuel spends of Rs. 200 to Rs. 5,000
Ixigo AU Credit Card
Joining fee: ₹0
Annual/Renewal Fee: ₹0
10% discount on travel bookings at Ixigo
Up to 10 reward points per Rs. 200 spent
Product Details
- 10% discount on bus bookings, max. Rs. 300 once per month via Ixigo
- 10% discount on flight bookings, up to Rs. 1,000 once per month via Ixigo
- 10% off on hotel bookings, up to Rs. 1,000 once per month via Ixigo
- Zero forex markup fee
- 16 free visits to domestic airport and railway lounges and 1 free visit to international airport lounge per year
AU Vetta Credit Card
Joining fee: ₹2999
Annual/Renewal Fee: ₹2999
4X reward points on grocery & departmental stores
Complimentary domestic & international lounge visits
Product Details
- 1,000 reward points on completing one retail transaction on your birthday
- Up to 1,500 bonus rewards as milestone benefits
- Rs. 1,000 worth vouchers on annual retail spends of Rs. 2.50 Lakh
IRCTC SBI Card Premier
Joining fee: ₹1499
Annual/Renewal Fee: ₹1499
10% valueback on AC1, 2 & 3, ECC & CC bookings via IRCTC
Rewards redeemable on IRCTC in 1:1 ratio
Product Details
- 5% rewards on e-catering orders & air tickets on IRCTC platforms
- 3 reward points per Rs. 125 spent on dining & utilities & 1 reward point per non-fuel retail spends
- 1% transaction fee waived on IRCTC railway tickets & 1.8% transaction fee waived on IRCTC airline tickets
- 8 complimentary visits to railway lounge in a year (Max. 2 per quarter)
- 2,500 and 5,000 reward points on Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 1 lakh annual travel spends respectively
IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card
Joining fee: ₹500
Annual/Renewal Fee: ₹500
5X reward points on IRCTC bookings
Complimentary access to IRCTC Executive lounges
Product Details
- Gift voucher worth Rs. 500 on reaching the retail spending milestone of Rs. 30,000 every quarter
- 1% transaction charges waiver, up to Rs. 1,000 in a month on IRCTC website and app
- 1% fuel surcharge is waived off on transactions between Rs. 400 to Rs. 5,000
Best Railway Lounge Access Credit Cards
Here is the list of top credit cards offering railway lounge access along with other travel benefits.
1. IDFC FIRST Millennia Credit Card
Joining Fee: Nil
Annual Fee: Nil
Key Features & Benefits:
- Up to 16 complimentary railway lounge visits every year*
- 10X reward points on birthday spends and on incremental spends above Rs. 20,000 in every month
- 3X reward points on online & offline transactions on monthly spends of up to Rs. 20,000
- 1 reward point per Rs. 150 spent on utility and insurance bill payments
- 25% off, up to Rs. 100 on movie ticket bookings through District by Zomato app, once a month
IDFC FIRST Millennia is a lifetime free credit card that offers core value-back through reward points. One of its standout features is that while most cards exclude utility and bill payments from their rewards program, this card still offers base reward rate on these categories. Apart from rewards, it also offers travel and entertainment benefits. With up to 16 railway lounge visits every year, frequent train travellers can maximize this benefit by putting their everyday spends on this card. Considering this is a lifetime-free credit card offering a higher frequency of lounge visits, decent value-back through rewards, and movie benefits, it turns out to be a well-rounded option for day-to-day spends.
*4 visits per quarter on spending Rs. 20,000 in the previous month.
2. Ixigo AU Credit Card
Joining Fee: Nil
Annual Fee: Nil
Key Features & Benefits:
- 8 complimentary domestic railway lounge access in a year
- 20 reward points for every Rs. 200 spent on train bookings via Ixigo
- No payment gateway charges on train bookings, valid twice per month
- 10% off on bus bookings via Ixigo, up to Rs. 300, once per month
- 2 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits every quarter on spending Rs. 20,000 in a quarter
- 10% discount on flight & hotel bookings via Ixigo
- Zero forex markup fee
Ixigo AU Credit Card is a travel credit card that primarily caters to train and bus bookings. Since this is a co-branded credit card, cardholders can maximize their benefits by making their travel bookings through Ixigo. Besides railway lounge access, cardholders can earn accelerated rewards on train bookings along with zero payment gateway charges, allowing frequent train travellers to save significantly on their trips. While most travel cards focus on flight and hotel bookings, this card is designed to offer higher value on train and bus travel, making it one of the best credit cards for railway lounge access.
3. AU Vetta Credit Card
Joining Fee: Rs. 2,999 + Applicable Taxes
Annual Fee: Rs. 2,999 + Applicable Taxes
Key Features & Benefits:
- Up to 8 complimentary railway lounge visits every year (Max. 2 visits per quarter)
- 1 complimentary domestic lounge visit per quarter on spending Rs. 20,000 in the previous quarter
- 1 complimentary international lounge every quarter
- 4 reward points for every Rs. 100 spent on grocery & departmental stores
- 2 reward points for every Rs. 100 spent on select merchant categories
- 1 reward point for every Rs. 100 spent on insurance and utility & telecom
- 24×7 dedicated concierge services for travel, entertainment, leisure experiences and more
AU Vetta is a rewards credit card offering accelerated value-back on everyday spends, such as groceries and departmental store purchases. In addition, cardholders can earn base reward points on categories that are often excluded, such as insurance and utility payments. Apart from the rewards program, this credit card also caters to frequent travellers by offering complimentary railway lounge visits along with domestic and international airport lounge access. Additionally, quarterly and annual milestone benefits add to its overall value. This credit card is a suitable option for consumers who prefer using their credit card for everyday spends and want to avail decent benefits around travel and rewards.
4. IRCTC SBI Card Premier
Joining Fee: Rs. 1,499 + Applicable Taxes
Annual Fee: Rs. 1,499 + Applicable Taxes
Key Features & Benefits:
- 8 complimentary railway lounge visits in a year (Max. 2 per quarter)
- 10% value-back on AC1, AC2, AC3, Executive Chair Car and Chair Car as reward points for ticket purchases via IRCTC website or mobile app (for Android only)
- Save 1% transaction charges on railway ticket bookings through www.irctc.co.in
- 5% value-back on air ticket and e-catering purchases on IRCTC
- Save 1.8% transaction charges on airline ticket bookings through air.irctc.co.in
IRCTC SBI Card Premier is a co-branded travel credit card that primarily offers benefits on IRCTC bookings. Cardholders can earn up to 10% value-back on their train ticket bookings through IRCTC along with a 1% transaction charge waiver. In addition, it offers a decent frequency of complimentary railway lounge visits, enhancing its overall value for frequent train travellers. Apart from travel, cardholders can earn 3X reward points on dining and standing instructions for utility payments. The accumulated reward points can be redeemed for IRCTC ticket purchases at a 1:1 ratio, allowing cardholders to save significantly on their travel spends.
5. IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card
Joining Fee: Rs. 500 + Applicable Taxes
Annual Fee: Rs. 500 + Applicable Taxes
Key Features & Benefits:
- 8 complimentary railway lounge visits to select IRCTC Executive Lounges every year, capped at 2 per quarter
- 5 reward points per Rs. 100 spent on Rail Connect app and IRCTC website
- Additional 5% cashback on booking IRCTC train tickets using HDFC Bank SmartBuy
- 1% transaction charge waiver on IRCTC website and app, capped at Rs. 1,000 per month
- 1 reward point on every Rs. 100 spent on other categories
IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card offers accelerated rewards on train ticket bookings along with a 1% transaction charge waiver. In addition, cardholders can earn an extra 5% cashback on train ticket bookings through SmartBuy portal, leading to significant savings on IRCTC bookings while also offering a higher number of railway lounge visits. Moreover, welcome and milestone benefits worth Rs. 1,000 add to its overall value. This credit card is a suitable option for frequent train travellers who prefer to make bookings through IRCTC or via HDFC SmartBuy portal to maximize their savings.
