Metro Railway has introduced, on an “experimental basis”, a provision to buy return tickets at the time of booking an onward journey.

It means a commuter travelling back and forth between two stations can now buy a single QR-coded paper ticket from counters at either station. The passenger must retain the ticket while exiting and reuse it while returning.

The return ticket will be valid till the commercial services are over the same day it was purchased, said a Metro official.

“For the convenience of Metro commuters, the facility has been started on an experimental basis in all the corridors of Metro Railway. Passengers availing this facility won’t have to purchase tickets from Metro counters before the return journey. This will help the passengers save time and enhance their mobility. The return journey must be completed on the date written on the ticket. Passengers are requested to preserve their tickets for the return journey,” the Metro spokesperson said on Saturday.

A passenger can also switch corridors while using the return ticket, the spokesperson stated.

It means a passenger headed from Tollygunge to Sector V can buy a single paper ticket and make the journey to the airport and return to Tollygunge. He can switch from the Blue Line to the Green Line at Esplanade during both the onward and return journey with a single ticket.

“This will decongest the counters and also help in saving paper,” said a Metro official. Last year, QR-coded paper tickets were circulated through the entire Metro network.