If you take the Pune local more than about eighteen times a month, a season ticket almost certainly costs you less than buying singles — and it removes the queue from your morning entirely. Here is how to get one.
What a season ticket actually is
Indian Railways calls it a Monthly Season Ticket (MST). It is bought for one specific pair of stations, in one class, and it allows unlimited journeys between them for the period you buy. Quarterly, half-yearly and yearly versions exist, and the longer periods work out cheaper per month.
Documents you need
- A completed season ticket requisition form (free at the booking office)
- One passport-size photograph
- Photo ID — Aadhaar, PAN, driving licence or voter ID
- For a student concession: the concession certificate from your institution, signed and stamped by the head of the institution, on the railway's prescribed format
Buying it at the counter
- Go to the booking office at any station on the route — Pune Junction, Shivajinagar, Chinchwad and Talegaon all issue them.
- Fill in the requisition form: your name, age, the two stations, and the class.
- Hand it in with the photo and ID, pay, and collect the pass.
- Check the station pair and the expiry date on the spot, before you leave the window.
Renewing on your phone with RailOne
Renewal is far easier than first issue. Install RailOne — Indian Railways' single passenger app, which replaced the UTS app on 1 March 2026 — sign in with the mobile number you gave at the counter, and your season ticket can be renewed inside the app.
If you already used UTS, your login and your R-Wallet balance carry across and you do not need a new account. See our full RailOne guide.
Two things regularly catch people out:
- A season ticket can normally be renewed up to ten days before it expires. Do not leave it to the last morning.
- The first issue of a season ticket generally still has to be done at a counter, because of the photograph and ID check. The app is for renewals.
Carrying it
A paper pass must be carried with you along with the photo ID it was issued against. A digital pass in RailOne must be shown from within the app — a screenshot is not accepted. Travel without a valid pass and you are liable for the fare plus a penalty.
Worth knowing: a season ticket is valid only between the two stations printed on it. If you regularly travel one stop further than your pass allows, buy the pass for the longer pair — the difference is usually small, and the penalty is not.
Once you have the pass, bookmark the Pune to Lonavala time table and the return direction so you can check your next departure in one tap.