Railways increases minimum ticket fare from Rs 5 to Rs 10

After doubling ticket cancellation charges recently, Indian Railways has increased the minimum passenger fare from Rs 5 to Rs 10 in non-suburban trains to end the problem of people buying such tickets in place of platform tickets.

The new fare will be effective from 20 November.

In April, the cost of the platform ticket was hiked from Rs 5 to Rs 10, to reduce overcrowding at platforms.

But some oversmart people started buying the minimum single journey second class tickets priced at Rs 5 instead of platform tickets, said a senior railway ministry official. As a result, the railways failed to "realise" the objective behind hiking the cost of the platform ticket. 

"It will be effective from 20 November to make it at par with the platform ticket charges. It aims at meeting the objective of controlling the rush at platform for the convenience of passengers," PTI quoted the official as saying.

The new fare will be applicable only for travel in second class coaches in non-suburban services.

Last week, the Railways had decided to double the charges levied on cancellation of tickets and made the refund valid only till four hours before the scheduled departure of trains.

The new rules from the public transporter, which became effective from 12 November, are targeted at preventing black marketing of tickets, thereby assisting "genuine passengers" to obtain confirmed tickets.