Railways asks flyers to opt for hassle-free trains

In an apparent dig at budget airline IndiGo's decision to levy charges for web check-in for all seats, Indian Railways on Monday asked people to opt for hassle-free train journey instead of paying premium fares for web check-in on flights.

"No need to pay extra charges for web check-ins. No long queues for checking in your luggage. Avoid unreasonable tariff & reduce your carbon footprint by travelling by good old Indian Railways at affordable rates," the tweet from the Ministry of Railways said. The post was also shared on the ministry's Facebook page

This is the second such overture in the past week from the railways, to lure flyers.

Low-cost carrier IndiGo has been levying charges for web check-in from November 14. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has said it would review the matter after the airline's action was questioned on social media.

Last Thursday, when airfares spiked due to the closure of a runway at the Delhi airport, the railways increased coaches on its trains between Delhi and major cities, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Pune.