Convenience fee, transaction charges make IRCTC's online ticket costlier than counter fare: Railway Minister Vaishnaw

New Delhi: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said that passengers booking tickets online via IRCTC pay more than those purchasing physically at railway counters because of convenience fee and transaction charges.

Responding to questions raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut regarding discrepancies in IRCTC ticket pricing, Vaishnwa said, "IRCTC incurs a substantial expenditure on providing online ticketing facility and in order to defray the cost incurred in maintenance, upgradation and expansion of ticketing infrastructure, a convenience fee is levied by IRCTC."

"In addition, customers also pay transaction charges to banks," Vaishnaw added.

"The online ticket booking facility provided by the IRCTC is one of the most passenger friendly initiatives of Indian Railways. At present, more than 80 per cent of the reserved tickets are booked online," Vaishnaw said.

"The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has provided the facility to book reserved tickets online, preventing the passengers from going to reservation counters to book tickets, thus saving travel time and transportation costs," he added.

Raut wanted to know the reasons why passengers booking tickets online via IRCTC pay more than those purchasing tickets physically at railway counters.

To another question on building hydrogen trains, the Minister said the railways has taken up a state-of-the-art project to develop the country's first hydrogen train, which is slated to be among the longest and the maximum powered hydrogen trains in the world.

"Indian Railways has taken up a state-of-the-art project for the development of the first hydrogen train on a pilot basis by retrofitment of hydrogen fuel cell on Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) rake," Vaishnaw said in the Upper House.

"Along with the train, concomitant on-ground infrastructure to refill hydrogen is envisioned with an integrated hydrogen production-storage-dispensation facility. Necessary safety approvals for the facility layout from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) are in place," Vaishnaw informed the House.