If you frequently travel via train, you may have experienced the discomfort of long waits between connections or delayed trains. However, there are some credit cards that offer complimentary access to railway lounges, which can make your waiting time more comfortable and relaxing.
In this guide, we will explore the 10 best credit cards in India that offer complimentary railway lounge access.
Facilities of Complimentary Railway Lounge Access
The complimentary railway lounge access provided by credit cards includes the following facilities:
- Two hours of access to the lounge
- A buffet meal consisting of breakfast, lunch, or dinner, depending on the time of your visit
- Free Wi-Fi connectivity
- Comfortable air-conditioned seating
- Access to magazines and newspapers for reading
- Unlimited tea and coffee
10 Best Credit Cards for Complimentary Railway Lounge Access in 2023
#1. IDFC First Classic/Millennia/Select/Wealth Credit Cards
IDFC First Bank provides four credit cards that are lifetime free – IDFC First Classic, IDFC First Millennia, IDFC First Select, and IDFC First Wealth Credit Cards.
These cards offer a higher number of complimentary lounge visits compared to other cards, making it the perfect option for those seeking railway lounge access at zero cost.
Fees & Railway Lounges Benefits
- Joining/Annual Fee: Lifetime Free
- Complimentary Railway Lounge Access: 16 visits per year (max 4 visits per quarter)
- Railway Lounge Access cities: Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Ahmedabad, Kolkata(Sealdah), Madurai
Other Key Benefits of IDFC First Classic Credit Card
- 10x reward points per Rs. 150 spend above Rs. 20,000.
- 10x RP on every Rs. 150 spent on your birthday.
- 3x RP per Rs. 150 offline spend.
- 6x RP on every Rs. 150 online spend.
- This credit card offers movie benefits including 25% discount up to Rs. 100 on movie tickets via Paytm app.
#2. AU Bank Xcite/Xcite Ace/Xcite Ultra Credit Card
AU Small Finance Bank’s Xcite credit cards, including the Xcite Ace and Ultra, provide lifetime free credit cards. With these cards, you can get 8 complimentary railway lounge access annually, which is ideal for those looking for free access to railway lounges.
Additionally, add-on credit cardholders can also enjoy free railway lounge access within the complimentary visits allotted to the primary cardholder.
Fees & Railway Lounges Benefits
- Joining/Annual Fee: Lifetime Free
- Complimentary Railway Lounge Access: 8 visits per year (max 2 visits per quarter)
- Railway Lounge Access cities: New Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Ahmedabad, Kolkata(Sealdah)
Other Key Benefits of AU Bank Xcite Credit Card
- Lifetime Free Credit Card.
- Up to 15 Reward Points on every spend of Rs. 100.
- 2x RP on retail spends between the 1st and 5th of every month.
- Up to 30% discount on dining.
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver.
#3. HDFC Bank RuPay IRCTC Credit Card
HDFC Bank Rupay IRCTC credit card is more valuable than the SBI and BoB IRCTC cards in terms of reward benefits. HDFC Bank Rupay IRCTC credit card offers a 10% value back on all classes of railway booking, including sleeper class while the SBI and BoB IRCTC cards offer only for AC bookings.
Fees & Railway Lounges Benefits
- Joining Fee: Rs 500
- Annual Fee: Rs 500
- Welcome Benefits: Amazon voucher worth Rs. 500 on making the first transaction within the first 30 days.
- Complimentary Railway Lounge Access: 4 visits every year (max 1 visit per quarter)
- Railway Lounge Access cities: Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Ahmedabad, Kolkata(Sealdah)
Other Key Benefits of HDFC Bank Rupay IRCTC Credit Card
- 1 Cash Point for every Rs. 100 spent on retail purchases.
- 5x Cash Points on IRCTC spends.
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver.
- 1 Cash Point = up to Rs. 1.
- Annual fee waived off on spending Rs. 1.5 lakhs or more in the previous year.
#4. IRCTC SBI Platinum Credit Card
If you frequently travel on Indian Railways, the IRCTC SBI Platinum Card is worth considering. With this card, you can get up to 10% value back on IRCTC bookings and enjoy four complimentary railway lounge access in a year.
You can also avail of a 1.8% transaction charge waiver on railway ticket bookings made through IRCTC.
Fees & Railway Lounges Benefits
- Joining Fee: Rs 500
- Annual Fee: Rs 300
- Complimentary Railway Lounge Access: 4 visits/year (max 1 visit per quarter)
- Railway Lounge Access cities: Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Ahmedabad, Kolkata(Sealdah)
Other Key Benefits of IRCTC SBI Platinum Card
- Earn up to 10% Value Back as Reward Points while you book Railway Tickets on IRCTC.
- Earn 1 Reward Point for every Rs 125 spent.
- 1 Reward Point= Rs. 1
- 350 activation bonus on a single transaction of Rs 500 or more within 45 days of card issuance.
- Avoid 1% of Fuel Surcharge Waiver.
#5. IRCTC SBI Card Premier
IRCTC SBI Card Premier is the next level of IRCTC SBI Platinum Rupay credit card. With this card, you can get up to 10% value back on your IRCTC bookings.
This card offers twice the number of complimentary visits compared to the IRCTC SBI Platinum Card. You get 8 complimentary railway lounge visits per year with a maximum of 2 visits per quarter.
Fees & Railway Lounges Benefits
- Joining Fee: Rs 1499
- Annual Fee: Rs 1499
- Complimentary Railway Lounge Access: 8 per year (max 2 visits per quarter)
- Railway Lounge Access cities: Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Ahmedabad, Kolkata(Sealdah)
Other Key Benefits of IRCTC SBI Card Premier
- Get a welcome bonus of 1,500 Reward Points.
- Up to 3 RP for every Rs. 125 spent.
- 1 RP per 125 spent on other non-fuel retail purchases.
- Up to 5,000 bonus Reward Points on hitting the milestone spend mark.
- Up to 10,000 miles every night on hotel stays.
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver.
#6. IRCTC BoB Rupay Credit Card
IRCTC BoB is one of the best rupay credit card that offers valuable benefits for frequent train travelers. You will receive 4 complimentary domestic railway lounge access every year.
You can also earn 40 Reward Points for every Rs. 100 spent on the IRCTC website or mobile app, which can be redeemed for ticket bookings or against your card’s statement balance at a rate of 1 Reward Point = Re. 0.25. You get up to 10% value back on AC bookings.
Fees & Railway Lounges Benefits
- Joining Fee: Rs. 500
- Annual Fee: Rs. 350
- Complimentary Railway Lounge Access: 4 visits per year (max 1 visit per quarter)
- Railway Lounge Access cities: Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Ahmedabad, Kolkata(Sealdah)
Other Key Benefits of IRCTC BoB Rupay Credit Card
- 1000 Bonus reward points as a welcome benefit
- 4 Reward Points per Rs. 100 you spend on grocery & departmental store purchases.
- 2 Reward Points per Rs. 100 you spend on other categories
- Upto 40 Reward Points per Rs. 100 spent on train bookings via IRCTC website and mobile application.
- 1% waiver at all fuel stations in India.
#7. ICICI Bank Coral Credit Card
The ICICI Bank Coral Credit Card is a great option not just for movie buffs and foodies but also for frequent train travelers. You get one complimentary visit to railway lounges in India every quarter.
Additionally, this credit card also offer movie benefits with 25% discount on movie tickets booked through BookMyShow and INOX. With the ICICI Bank Culinary Treats program, you can also avail of exclusive dining deals.
Fees & Railway Lounges Benefits
- Joining Fee: Rs 500
- Annual Fee: Rs 500
- Complimentary Railway Lounge Access: 4 visits every year with max 1 visit per quarter.
- Railway Lounge Access cities: Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Ahmedabad, Kolkata(Sealdah), Madurai
Other Key Benefits of ICICI Bank Coral Credit Card
- Earn up to 10,000 bonus RPs annually under the Milestone Program.
- 1 RP per Rs. 100 you spent on utilities & insurance related expenses.
- 2 RP per Rs. 100 you spend (except Fuel).
- Get 1 complimentary domestic lounge access every quarter.
- 1% surcharge fee waiver at all HPCL fuel stations all over India.
#8. ICICI Bank Rubyx Credit Card
The ICICI Bank Rubyx Credit Card offers a wide range of lifestyle benefits, including exclusive discount offers on dining and movies. In addition to these benefits, the card also offers travel benefits to make your journeys comfortable, such as railway and airport lounge access every quarter.
You can enjoy 2 complimentary railway lounge accesses per quarter and 1 complimentary airport lounge access per quarter with each of the two card variants on a minimum expenditure of Rs. 5,000 in the previous quarter.
Fees & Railway Lounges Benefits
- Joining Fee: Rs 3000
- Annual Fee: Rs 2000
- Welcome Benefits: Travel & shopping vouchers worth over Rs. 5,000.
- Complimentary Railway Lounge Access: 8 visits every year with max 2 visits per quarter.
- Railway Lounge Access cities: Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Ahmedabad, Kolkata(Sealdah), Madurai
Other Key Benefits of ICICI Bank Rubyx Credit Card
- 2 RP per domestic spend of Rs. 100.
- 4 RP per international spend of Rs. 100.
- 1 RP on every Rs. 100 spent on utilities and insurance categories.
- 25% discount up to Rs. 150 on booking a minimum of 2 movie tickets in a single transaction on BookMyShow or Inox.
- 2 complimentary domestic airport lounge access.
- 24*7 concierge service.
- 1 complimentary golf lesson/round every month per Rs. 50,000 spent in the previous month.
#9. MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Platinum Credit Card
The MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Platinum Credit Card comes with a one-time fee of Rs. 500 and offers great reward points for flight, hotel, and holiday bookings on MakeMyTrip.
You can also enjoy the added benefit of complimentary Railway Lounge Access, with four visits per year (one visit per quarter).
Additionally, you can earn up to Rs. 3 My Cash per Rs. 200 on flight/hotel/holiday bookings on MMT. Every My Cash is equal to Rs. 1, making this card a great option for frequent travelers.
Fees & Railway Lounges Benefits
- Joining Fee: Rs 500 (one time fee)
- Annual Fee: NIL
- Welcome Benefits: Rs. 500 My Cash and MakeMyTrip holiday voucher worth Rs. 3,000.
- Complimentary Railway Lounge Access: 4 visits every year with max 1 visit per quarter.
- Railway Lounge Access cities: Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Ahmedabad, Kolkata(Sealdah), Madurai
Other Key Benefits of MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Platinum Credit Card
- Rs. 3 My Cash per Rs. 200 on hotel/holiday bookings on MMT.
- Rs. 2 My Cash on flight bookings on MMT
- Rs. 1.25 My Cash on all international spends outside MMT
- Rs. 1 My Cash on all domestic spends outside MMT
- No cashback or reward points on fuel purchases.
- 1 My Cash = Rs. 1
- 25% discount (up to Rs. 100) on movie tickets on BookMyShow and INOX (max 2 times in a month).
#10. MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card
Similar to the MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Platinum card, the MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card also provides four complimentary railway lounge access annually but its high joining fees.
However, this credit card offers better reward value than the MMT Platinum card. You can earn up to 4 My CashPoints for every Rs. 200 spent on flight, hotel, and holiday bookings made through MakeMyTrip, where one My CashPoint equals Rs. 1.
Fees & Railway Lounges Benefits
- Joining Fee: Rs 2500
- Annual Fee: NIL
- Welcome Benefits: Get 1,500 My Cash, MakeMyTrip holiday voucher worth Rs. 2,500, and MMTBLACK enrolment.
- Complimentary Railway Lounge Access: 4 visits every year with max 1 visit per quarter.
- Railway Lounge Access cities: Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Ahmedabad, Kolkata(Sealdah), Madurai
Other Key Benefits of MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card
- 4 My CashPoints per Rs. 200 you spend on hotel or holiday bookings through MakeMyTrip.
- 2 My Cash on every Rs. 200 spent on flight bookings through MakeMyTrip.
- 1.25 My Cash on every Rs. 200 you spend on domestic purchases outside MakeMyTrip.
- 1.5 My Cash on every Rs. 200 spent on international purchases outside MakeMyTrip.
- 25% discount on movie tickets through Bookmyshow & Inox.
- 1% fuel surcharge is waived off.
Quick Comparison of Credit Cards For Complimentary Railway Lounges & Fees
| Credit Card Name | Fees | Complimentary Railway Lounges Access |
| IDFC First Classic/Millennia/Select/Wealth Credit Cards | Nil | 16 per year (max 4 per quarter) |
| AU Bank Xcite/Xcite Ace/Xcite Ultra Credit Card | Nil | 8 per year (max 2 per quarter) |
| IRCTC HDFC Credit Card | Rs. 500 | 8 per year (max 2 per quarter) |
| IRCTC SBI Card Premier | Rs.1,499 | 8 per year (max 2 per quarter) |
| IRCTC SBI Platinum Credit Card | Rs. 500 | 4 per year (max 1 per quarter) |
| IRCTC BoB RuPay Credit Card | Rs.500 | 4 per year (max 1 per quarter) |
| ICICI Bank Coral Credit Card | Rs.500 | 4 per year (max 1 per quarter) |
| ICICI Bank Rubyx Credit Card | Rs.3,000 | 8 per year (max 2 per quarter) |
| MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Platinum Credit Card | Rs.500 | 4 per year (max 1 per quarter) |
| MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card | Rs.2,500 | 4 per year (max 1 per quarter) |
Conclusion
If you are looking for a lifetime free credit card for complimentary railway lounge access, consider IDFC First Classic/Millennia/Select/Wealth Credit Cards. These credit cards come with zero joining/annual fee and offer 16 railway lounges access per year. Additionally, you can also enjoy movie benefits.
When choosing the best credit card with railway lounge benefits, it is important to consider your specific needs and preferences. Review the list of above mentioned credit cards and compare their features and benefits before making a decision.
