Indian Railways are now emulating the model of private airliners, which steeply jack up the fares during the festival season on the basis of demand and fleece the commuters. Such short-cuts being adopted by the Railway to mop up resources and make up its loss are set to derail the family budget of the common man, who is already reeling under the heat of inflation. Over a period of time, Railway used to earn additional income by revising the ticket and freight charges from 3 paise to 5 paise per km. Now, the Railway is aiming at a two-fold increase in ticket fares.
The initial target was the 'Tatkal' tickets, which are issued along with the ordinary sleeper class tickets. Then it introduced 'Tatkal' tickets, which cost four times more than the ordinary sleeper class tickets and also Premium and Platinum tickets that are even more costly. Then came 'Suvidha'. which included all tickets in the 'Tatkal' bracket and with that the fleecing became evident.
On introducing online and credit card reservation facility for Suvidha tickets, it became totally inaccessible for the common man. A progressive rate has been fixed for 80 per cent of the Suvidha tickets. The first 20 per cent of the Suvidha tickets cost one-and-half times more than the sleeper class ticket. The cost would increase by two times in the case of the next 20 per cent tickets and then by two-and-a-half times and the remaining 20 per cent would cost three times more than the ordinary sleeper class tickets. Air fares, when compared with the railway fares, seem to be much cheaper and affordable to the common man.
If a passenger boards a long-distance train having only Suvidha tickets, he would have to pay fine at least 10 times in the course of his journey. For instance, the Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai sleeper class fare is Rs.470. A Tatkal ticket in the same category would cost Rs.595. It would again go up in the case of Premium and Platinum tickets. A Suvidha ticket in the same segment would cost Rs.870. The flexible fare system that has been proposed by the Railway is likely to go up three to four times more than the Suvidha tickets.
Railway is not just a mode of transport. The huge network, which carries the common man across the length and breadth of the country linking the diverse culture, languages, customs and traditions, is a symbol of Indian nationality too, giving a feeling of oneness. This is not a blind opposition to the reforms and services being offered by the Railway. There are many laudable reforms.
It has offered a travel concessions for the visually challenged, those afflicted by cancer and kidney ailments and their aides, special package for the study tours of students, installation of escalator and lifts in railway stations and improving the infrastructure facilities in booking centres and such others. But raising the ticket fare is not the sole solution for resource mobilisation. It should find alternative means for earning additional income.
Parasuram Express, which could run with 22 boggies, now has only 15 and the annual loss in this score alone is Rs.6 crore. If Janasatabdhi runs on Tuesdays and Fridays, it would earn an additional income of Rs.15.81 crore. On introducing additional trains to pilgrim centres like Tirupatii and Velankanni and also by increasing the number of boggies, the Railway could increase its revenue. But the introduction of Tatkal, Suvidha and Platinum fares are against the interest of the common man. History has a model of the erstwhile ruler of Thripunithura who sold the gold caparison of Poornathrayeesa Temple to fund the extension of the Ernakulam-Shornur railway line. People expect a fairness and consideration from a democratic Government, which was earlier shown by the kings in the past.
(The writer is the managing trustee of the Centre for Consumer Education).
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