Passengers resent abnormal hike in platform ticket price in Nellore

Nellore: Railway passengers at local railway stations are shocked with the exorbitant hike platform ticket prices in connection with the Navaratri festival. Now, Railway authorities are collecting Rs. 30 per ticket which was earlier only Rs. 10. People who visit the railway station for giving send off to their kin are getting annoyed with the decision of the South Central Railway authorities.

In fact, the Railway authorities enhance platform tickets every year during Navaratri festival. Railways also issued a public notice that they are increasing platform tickets from Sep 29 to Oct 10 at Rajahmundry, Vijayawada and Nellore stations. They had taken the decision to avoid huge crowds at stations, they say.

But Nellore is neither a highly crowded junction nor thickly populated city. Gudur, Srikalahasti and Tirupati stations witness huge passenger rush for temple Darshan during holidays. Nellore passengers ask why the SCR had taken a decision to increase the platform ticket from Rs. 10 to Rs. 30 troubling the people.

"This is not for managing people who accompany the passengers at the railway station, but exploiting the situation. We never saw huge rush except for two to three days during important days.

Why they are collecting increased charges for 12 days?,''said SV Mallikarjunam, a retired bank manager expressing anger. Another passenger K Jalaiah said that the enhanced ticket is almost equal to the fare of MMTS charges from Nellore to Chennai and Ongole.