Railways to collect user charge from passengers

Indian Railways is planning to levy user charge for passengers for using modern railway stations on the line of airports.

With railway is handing over some of the busy stations to private entities for modernisation aimed at providing latest facilities to passengers, the national transporter is planning to collect user charges, S K Lohia, Managing Director Indian Railway Station Development Corporation (IRSDC) said here on Monday.

Indian Railways will notify the user change and it may be linked to the wholesale price index, he said adding that user charge would be collected only after modernisation of stations.

The user charge may be collected from passengers while booking tickets on the line of airports.

IRSDC, which had earlier handed over two railway stations HabibGanj in Madhya Pradesh and Gandhi Nagar in Gujarat to private parties for development under public-private partnership, has invited request for qualification for Nagpur, Gwalior, Sabaramati and Amritsar railway stations for redevelopment.

The modernisation of the station include developing/ re-develop the existing/new railway station which will consist of upgrading the level of passenger amenities by new constructions/renovations including re-development of the station buildings, platform surfaces, circulating area, to better standards so as to serve the need of the passengers.

Under the current plan, a private player will get 60 years license of the station area and build area on lease while for residential development at station land, the lease period will be 99 years.

The railways earlier decided to prioritise the development of 50 railway stations with modoern facilities drawing the example of privation of six airports in the country.