VISAKHAPATNAM: Vistadome coach services started with a bang along the Vizag-Araku route in April last year. Now, the rail service’s high fares and oddly-timed return journey has forced Railways authorities to slash ticket rates on an experimental basis.According to officials, it will be for the first time that the Railways will be reducing fares for a single coach. The fare for one-side travel in the Vistadome coach is Rs 665 per person, with no concession for children. The return journey begins at 4.10 pm. “There’s no value for money. How can you enjoy the scenic view after dark?” a passenger said.
Many tourists now avail of Vistadome coach services from Vizag to Araku in the morning, but prefer alternative modes of transport during the return journey. Tourists have urged the Railways to either change the timings or slash the fare several times in the past, but it is only now that a fare revision proposal is being mulled.
The poor occupancy rate during the journey abck has got Railways authorities chewing on a possible decrease in ticket fares on an experimental basis. Sources say that the fare might be `465 if tickets are booked to and fro and for the one-side journeys, it would be around `565.