Railways Reduces Fare for Passenger Trains

Indian Railways passenger train fare update

The Railways have announced a return of ticket prices to pre-COVID levels, much to the relief of passengers. With fares for passenger trains falling by about 40-50 percent, this measure seeks to alleviate financial strain on daily commuters. In the past, people who wanted to travel by passenger train also had to pay for the express ticket.

Pre-Covid ticket prices for Indian Railways

Effective February 27, the Indian Railways restored the Second Class Ordinary Fare on what was formerly called 'Passenger Trains' but are now called 'Express Specials' or 'MEMU/DEMU Express' Trains. After the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the Railways raised the minimum fare from Rs 10 to Rs 30, making it the same as Express Train fares, and they eliminated the 'Passenger Trains.' The decision to reverse was communicated to the Chief Booking Reservation Supervisors by the railway authorities on Tuesday morning.

MEMU and express trains fare reduction

All Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) trains and those starting with the number ‘Zero’ had their Ordinary Class fares cut in half by the railway authorities. Also, the Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) app's pricing structure was updated. The fare reduction applies to all trains across the country that were formerly classified as Passenger Trains but are now known as ‘Express Special’ or MEMU trains.

According to Central Railway Passenger Advisory Committee member Shivnath Biyani, ticket prices for multiple destinations have been slashed in half. This discount was effective as of Thursday.

Overcrowding during the pandemic led to the cancellation of passenger trains four years ago. Upon their reintroduction, travellers were required to pay the higher express fare. According to Biyani, representatives and passenger associations have been pushing price cuts for quite some time. After hearing about the price cut, passengers were delighted.