Dynamic fare of Suvidha Express train burdens commoners

Lokmat News Network

Aurangabad:

To allow people an easy way to travel, the Indian Railways has started the Suvidha (Premium) Express trains to book confirmed tickets for the citizens from CSMT-Mumbai (Maharashtra) to Patna Junction (Bihar). However, a few passengers from the city (who were unaware of the dynamic fare pricing system) claim that travelling by this express train proved dearer to them burdened financially by Rs 800-Rs 1,000 in just one month. They demanded that railway officials and ticket agents create awareness about the fare system.

According to a passenger (who wished to remain anonymous),” I booked two e-tickets from a local authorised agent in the city on October 7. The Diwali vacation was underway, but my agent succeeded in getting a reservation in Suvidha Express (Number 82356). The ticket was booked from CSMT-Mumbai to Patna and Bhusawal was selected as the boarding point. The charges for two adult travellers were around Rs 3,600 (Sleeper Class). However, when I booked one ticket (for an adult passenger on November 11) on the same train and the same route and the same boarding point, the charge was around Rs 2700 (Sleeper Class). The rise of ticket charges by around Rs 900 was shocking and financially burdening to me.”

“There are tens of thousands of natives from various districts of Bihar, who are earning their livelihoods by staying in many cities of Maharashtra like Mumbai, Pune, Nasik, Aurangabad and Jalna. They are the ones who travel frequently to their native places during festivals and other personal work during an emergency. Hence, I know that Suvidha Express is one of the trains leading to Bihar, but I request that Indian Railways create awareness about the dynamic fare pricing and direct the ticket agents to inform the passengers at the time of reservation is Suvidha trains on priority,” says Ashutosh Mishra who travel frequently to Bihar.

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An official from Central Railway (Mumbai) clarified saying, “ The Indian Railways has introduced Dynamic Fare Pricing in premium trains including Suvidha trains. The minimum fare of Suvidha is tatkal and it gets increased by 3 times. It collects base fare and tatkal charges till the train books 20 per cent of its entire tickets. Later on, for every 20 per cent, the base fare and tatkal charges increase in four slabs (1.5 times, 2 times, 2.5 times and 3 times).”