Shatabdi, Rajdhani, Duronto fare hiked

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 7

Cash-strapped Indian Railways on Wednesday decided to bring all Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains under the “dynamic fare system” to charge passengers 10 to 50 per cent more than the basic fare.

(Follow ; and )

The Railways reportedly decided to take this step to mop up funds after the Ministry of Finance declined to bail it out as regards its obligation under the pay panel, which will cost it about Rs 30,000 crore this financial year.

The system will come into effect from Friday. According to an official statement, the first 10 per cent seats in these trains will be sold at the existing base price, but subsequent berths will become costlier by 10 per cent after every 10 per cent of bookings. There will, however, be an upper cap. The tickets already sold will not attract revised charges.

The maximum price tag for a chair car ticket from New Delhi to Chandigarh in the Shatabdi (base price Rs 408) would now be Rs 612. The minimum charge for 3rd AC ticket in Mumbai Rajdhani would be Rs 1,628, whereas the maximum would be Rs 2,289. In case of 2nd AC, the minimum would be Rs 2,369 and maximum Rs 3,554.

“In case of 3A berths in Rajdhani and Duranto trains, after the first 10 per cent of the berths are sold, the tickets for the next 10 per cent berths will be sold at 110 per cent of the basic fare.

In case of 20 to 30 per cent berths, the ticket fare will be 130 per cent of the basic fare. After 30 per cent berths have been sold, the ticket price will be 140 per cent of the basic fare. All other charges will continue at the current rates,” said the statement.

The 2A class tickets in Rajdhani and Duranto trains will also follow the same dynamic fare fixation with the difference that the last 50 per cent of the berths would be sold at a flat price of 50 per cent above the basic fare. 

The Railways said the vacant berths in trains would be made available to passengers at a rate at which the last ticket was sold under the current booking category. The berths allocated under the Tatkal category would be sold at 50 per cent additional cost, it added. The executive class in Shatabdis has been spared the increase in fare. The sleeper class tickets in Duranto trains will also attract the pricing in a similar manner under which the last 50 per cent berths would be 50 per cent costlier, while 10 per cent increase in price will come into effect for every 10 per cent slab of berths.