Dismissing media reports alleging that higher fares are being charged by Indian Railways during the COVID-19 pandemic, Indian Railways has issued a statement explaining the structure.
This is the second time such reports have appeared in the media. One such clarification was issued several months ago by IR.
Noting that as per policy, the fare for such trains has been kept higher since 2015, IR emphasized that no new hikes have been made to fares.
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Indian Railways has restarted almost 60 % of the Mail/Express trains running before the lockdown disrupted services. 77% of these special trains have regular fares. Around 250 trains daily are running as trains with special fares.
A total of 1,058 Mail/Express, 4,807 suburban services & 188 passenger trains are presently in operation average on a daily basis, the statement notes.
‘Passengers Travelling In Better Conditions Than Pre-COVID-19’
In all the trains that are being run, besides other classes, the trains have a large number of 2S class coaches which has the lowest fare in the reserved category, says the statement.
Claiming that 40 % of the passengers now travel in 2S class, IR asserted that they now travel in far better conditions than the pre-COVID-19 era. As per the policy, 2S passengers, even in special fare case are NOT charged more than additional Rs 15 /- as compared to standard fares, Indian Railways has clarified.
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Indian Railways has long run holiday special trains to cater to the rush during festive seasons. Over the past few years, the number of trains being run during festivals has increased significantly.
Passenger services on Indian Railways make significant losses, absorbing most of the profits made by the freight business of the organization. Fares have not been raised significantly over the past two decades. As a result, losses have steadily increased as a result of an increase in traffic and the number of services.