JOIN USThe railways has decided to change system of tickets pricing in premium trains and also changed the refund rules for cancelling such tickets.
The tickets can be purchased from the counters or through internet. Earlier, it was available through net only. The railways have also decided to refund 50 per cent of the fare if it is returned up to six hours before the departure of the train.
The decision was taken after huge loss in operating these trains. There were anomalies in the existing dynamic fare system for these trains which resulted in abnormal soaring of price of the tickets as high as 10 times more than that of the base fare. These trains will now be known as Suvdha trains.
According to the new system, fare will increase rationally. In the new system slab will change only after booking of 20 per cent of the total ticket. According to it, the first 20 per cent of the total tickets in a train would be sold on the base fare. The next 20 per cent will be sold at the price 1.5 times higher, the next 20 per cent at 2 times higher, the next 20 per cent at 2.5 times higher and the last 20 per cent at 3 times higher than the base price.
The ministry said that tickets shall be issued only for confirmed and RAC passengers are accommodation. There shall be no provision for waiting list in the train. The maximum advance reservation period (ARP) will be 30 days while the minimum advance reservation period will be of 10 days. Zonal Railways may decide the exact ARP for each train within this limit.
“On the basis of demand pattern, Suvidha train services may run during peak seasons like winter rush, summer rush, Dussehara rush, Holi rush and on other occasions as jointly decided by commercials mangers of the zonal railways,” said railway spokesperson Anil Kumar Saxena. There shall be no First AC/Fist Class/Executive class/general class/2nd sitting coach in Suvidha Trains.
Three types of Suvidha Trains services will run – Fully air-conditioned services with or without stoppages with base price (Rajdhani base fare+Tatkal charges). Mixed services having no enroute commercial stoppages on mixed Duronto pattern with base price (Mixed Duronto base fare+Tatkal charges). For mixed services having some stoppages enroute and running as mail/express aith base price: (Mail/Express base fare+Tatkal charges).
“In addition to above, if there is demand, zonal railways may also plan for fully airconditioned Shatabdi/Double decker type Suvidha Trains with fare of the respective categories of trains,” said the spokesperson.