No proposal to withdraw flexi fare policy: Railway Minister

New Delhi: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav on Wednesday said that no changes will be made in the flexi fare policy in the coming times. The flexi fare system was introduced in Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi trains with effect from September 9, 2016. Under this system, the basic fare increases by 10 per cent for every 10 per cent of the berths sold, subject to the prescribed ceiling.

Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, the Railway Minister said, "It has been observed that during the pre-Covid period, the number of passengers as well as income has increased in the trains in which the flexi price system was implemented as compared to the non-flexi fare period. Hence at present there is no proposal to change the flexi fare policy."

"Railways and airlines are two different modes of transportation, it is not right to compare them. Railways have also implemented flexi fare facility in some trains like airlines, but there is a limit to increase the fare," Ashwini Vaishnav stated.

The minister was replying in the House, when asked whether the Railways has implemented surge price in some of its premium class high speed trains and whether it will allow passengers to travel by flights instead of Railways.

The Railway Minister told the Lok Sabha, "No fare structure has been introduced in the name of surge pricing. Airlines do not have a maximum fare limit, whereas the Railways have."