CHENNAI: The recent decision by the railways to reduce the minimum fare of passenger trains from Rs 30 to Rs 10, following the trains’ downgrade from express special to ordinary second-class passenger, is said to have been implemented without an official order from the railway board or ministry of railways.
Members of Zonal Rail Users Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) and Divisional Rail Users Consultative Committee (DRUCC) have expressed concerns, saying the fare cut may be temporary and could be reversed after the Lok Sabha election.
Incidentally, officials at Southern Railway headquarters said they have not received the list of trains, for which, the ticket fare was reduced from February 27. They also claimed ignorance about whether the decision is temporary or permanent.
R Pandiaraja, a ZRUCC member from Southern Railway, told TNIE the ticketing staff in Madurai, Tiruchi and Chennai divisions have been telling passengers they have not received any orders regarding the fare reduction. “Instead, they were verbally instructed to collect the fare according to changes made in the unreserved ticketing software. This only means the fare cut is a temporary measure ahead of the election and is likely to get hiked again,” he said.
A section of media reported last week that express special trains have been reverted to second-class passenger trains and are operating akin to pre-Covid-19 scenario since February 27. The change has resulted in a 50% reduction in the fare. The commercial wing of the Southern Railway, which is responsible for fare adjustments, has not issued any orders on this. Approximately 60 pairs of passenger trains pass through the state.
K Baskar, former member of DRUCC, Chennai division said, “Several railway personnel at stations and ticket counters have told us that the fare cut was enforced without any official directive. We have already initiated a request to the railways through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, seeking a copy of the order issued by the railway board or the general manager of Southern Railway.”
Describing the action as strange, Baskar said altering the ticketing software without an official mandate has raised questions as to whether the move is solely a temporary one ahead of elections. “The railways should issue an official statement clarifying whether any genuine policy decision was made to permanently downgrade the express special trains.”
A senior railway official of SR said, “Commercial staff at counters had been instructed to collect latest fare details from the UTS software for regular passenger trains. However, no further update has been received. We are currently awaiting instructions.”
No list yet
Officials at Southern Railway headquarters in Chennai said they have not received the list of trains, for which, the ticket fare was reduced from February 27