Railways To Slash Fares Of AC Chair Car, Executive Classes By Up To 25%, Including Vande Bharat

Fares of AC chair cars and executive classes of all trains, including Vande Bharat, and those with Anubhuti and Vistadome coaches will be reduced by up to 25 per cent, a Railway Board order said.

The Railway Board has issued an order saying that the fares for AC chair cars and executive classes on all trains, including Vande Bharat, as well as those with Anubhuti and Vistadome coaches, will be reduced by up to 25 per cent, reported news agency PTI. The actual discount will be based on the occupancy levels, as per the report. Additionally, the fares will be influenced by the prices of competitive modes of transport.

As per the report, in an effort to maximise accommodation utilisation, the Ministry of Railways has authorised the principal chief commercial managers of railway zones to introduce discounted fare schemes for trains with AC seating.

"This scheme shall be applicable in AC chair car and executive classes of all trains having AC seating accommodation, including Anubhuti and Vistadome coaches," the Railway Board order stated, as per PTI. 

"The element of discount shall be up to a maximum 25 per cent on the basic fare. Other charges like reservation charge, super fast surcharge, GST, etc, as applicable, shall be levied separately. The discount may be provided in any or all the classes on the basis of occupancy," it said.

Adding that trains having "classes with occupancy less than 50 per cent (either end-to-end or in some specified legs/sections depending upon the sections where discount is to be provided) during the last 30 days shall be taken into consideration."

The fares of competitive modes of transport will be the criteria while deciding the quantum of discount, it added, the news agency said. 

The discount can be given for the first and/or last leg of the journey and/or intermediate sections and/or end-to-end journey provided the occupancy is less than 50 per cent in that leg/section/end-to-end, the report said. 

"The discount shall be implemented with immediate effect. However, no refund of fare shall be admissible for already booked passengers," the Railway Board order said. 

If a particular class of train has a flexi fare system in place and the occupancy is low, the scheme may be initially withdrawn as a strategy to boost occupancy rates.

As per the report, this fare reduction scheme will not be applicable to special trains introduced specifically for holidays or festivals.