Revised rail fares to take effect in March

The revised flexi-fares for premier trains will be applicable from March 15, 2019, and advance bookings have commenced as the changes required in the software have been executed, officials say.

Aimed at offering convenience and competitive fares to passengers, as well as generating revenue for the Indian Railways, the decision to tweak fares of the Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi trains was taken on October 31.

However, it could not be implemented because of the need for changes in the ticketing system’s software.

Criticism

The flexi-fare scheme introduced for 44 Rajdhani, 46 Shatabdi and 52 Duronto trains in September 2016 has drawn criticism.

As per the system, the tariff goes up as the occupancy rate increases. The fare rises by 10 per cent, as every 10 per cent of berths are occupied with a cap of 1.5 times of the base fare.

“It has also resulted in many vacant berths due to high prices on certain trains. So a review committee which looked into the issue and recommended rationalisation of the flexifare system,” a senior Railway Ministry official told journalists.