Review of Flexi Fare Scheme after your inputs
Since the collective citizen inputs from this circle and other avenues have been furnished to us lat last year, an eight member Committee comprising General Manager/West Central Railway, Principal Financial Advisor/East Central Railway, Executive Director Passenger Marketing, Railway Board, Executive Director Traffic Commercial (Rates), Railway Board, Advisor (Transport)/Niti Aayog, Executive Director/Revenue Management & Marketing Automation/Air India, Director/Revenue/Le Meridian and Professor of Transport Economics/Walchand Hirachand was constituted to review the flexi fare scheme.
The terms of reference of the committee was to examine all options and recommend best option keeping in mind interest of passengers and Railways. The committee was mandated to examine the following issues:
Impact of implementation of flexi fare in its current form with respect to:
(i) Impact on Revenue generated for Railways.
(ii) Impact on Passenger in terms of their choice of railway as means of transport (with increased fare).
(iii) Competitiveness of flexi fare viz-a-viz other means of transport.
(iv) Amendment/modification if any in
Flexibility of rates in peak and lean season/week days and weekend/festival season.
‘Add on’ if any to be provided with flexi fare for better patronage of the scheme like loyalty points/deferred benefits etc.
Any other aspects deemed fit by the committee.
(v) Fare of special trains like Humsafar etc. also to be reviewed.
(vi) Implementability of suggestions.
The Committee has submitted its report on 16.01.2018. Important recommendations are to rationalise the Flexi fare scheme based on the occupancy of the trains and also offer discounted fare in trains having low occupancy. The Report along with recommendations has been put up for consideration of the Board. more
The terms of reference of the committee was to examine all options and recommend best option keeping in mind interest of passengers and Railways. The committee was mandated to examine the following issues:
Impact of implementation of flexi fare in its current form with respect to:
(i) Impact on Revenue generated for Railways.
(ii) Impact on Passenger in terms of their choice of railway as means of transport (with increased fare).
(iii) Competitiveness of flexi fare viz-a-viz other means of transport.
(iv) Amendment/modification if any in
Flexibility of rates in peak and lean season/week days and weekend/festival season.
‘Add on’ if any to be provided with flexi fare for better patronage of the scheme like loyalty points/deferred benefits etc.
Any other aspects deemed fit by the committee.
(v) Fare of special trains like Humsafar etc. also to be reviewed.
(vi) Implementability of suggestions.
The Committee has submitted its report on 16.01.2018. Important recommendations are to rationalise the Flexi fare scheme based on the occupancy of the trains and also offer discounted fare in trains having low occupancy. The Report along with recommendations has been put up for consideration of the Board. more
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The Railways is a wing of the Govt of India to provide service. With no competition there is no option for those under compulsion to travel other than choosing what is on offer. I travelled in a Tatkal Fare train from Yeshwantpur to Miraj, which was just half full. A full coach with normal fare would also generate the same revenue. Some wishful thinking with a model to cater to more travellers with available service limitation should be the motto and not to extract maximum from travellers who have no option, but prefer Rail travel. Rail Pass Holders should also be asked to book and get the amount re-imbursed. There is a lot of misuse by travelling without signing passes and this can be addressed. Need of the hour is to improve the average running speed of trains which are awfully slow at 50 to 60 kmph. But these are designated SF and charges collected. Extension during travel, Cancellation are all revenue models exploiting and fleecing. These should be rationalised like upto 24 hours and within 24 hour slab and a percentage of ticket not exceeding 20%. With Global Warming more of Full AC coach trains Garib Rath with affordable rates should be introduced. more
Mar 11
Recently they have introduced fee for AC waiting hall Rs 24 for first 24 hours. Now all classes travellers are stagnating in to the small hall and no place to stand. Earlier only those having 2nd or 3rd sleeper AC travellers are using the facilities with free of cost and finding normal rush. Having the AC tickets and suffering with crowd and all sorts uncleaned articles around. The railways can separate AC hall for other classes and as earlier they can give facillities for those who are having the AC ticket. or with nominal amount as they are authorized AC ticket holders. Ramakrishna Rao more
Feb 21
Times of India of Feb 14 had two items pertaining to Railways. One disheartening that 18500 railway officials are under enquiry for corruption, North Zone leading with 6121 and South Zone second with 1955. NE Zone 1402 and Central Zone 1254. Against this it was great to read how the alert key man Shri Shivnandan saved the Dibrugarh-bound Rajdhani Express from a calamity by stopping the train in time from accident caused by a fractured railway track in Bihar's Katihar District. While the Railways have ordered an enquiry it is hoped that the praiseworthy duty-consciousness of Shri Shivnandan is rewarded suitably either by increment or promotion and felicitation in a public function. This would act as a motivation for the Railway staff in general. Hope the Ministry of Railways does something in this direction as well. L.Kalavathi Retired Bank Official Chennai, Tamilnadu, India 14th February, 2018 more
Feb 14
I would say that the Dynamic Fare/Flexi fare system is a farce. Have guts to increase the fares of lower class of travel which are highly subsidised!! Railways may also increase the upper (AC) class fares marginally but please do STOP this system of Dynamic / Flexi fares where your fares become worse than an airfare. Please do remember that air travel takes a much lower journey time than the trains except that the train journeys are more relaxing and enjoyable. I hope Railways are not charging for these (relaxing and enjoyable journey) as luxury tax in the name of dynamic/flexi fare. Railways may however look into the possibility of levying additional charge for selection of berth just like the airlines where one pays an additional fee for choosing his/her seat. I am sure this will bring in better revenue in lieu of flexi fares. The other big disadvantage is while you show the availability as waitlisted but have seats in Tatkal and Premium Tatkal. Suggest change the option of Tatkal to 48 hours prior to the departure of train and Premium Tatkal to 24 hours. Passengers can decide accordingly on what and how to choose their mode of travel. I am also sure that while the committee formed of Senior railway officials is fine please include atleast 2 common man (passengers) who travel by paying from their pockets so as to have inputs and difficulties faced in booking a confirmed ticket. more
Feb 13
I like to add that last 3 months I traveled extensively in train between Pune to Nagpur, Pune to Raipur, Pune to Bilaspur and back. None of these trains reached on time. There has been 1 hour to 4 hours delays. Why there is a delay despite all modern technologies, increased fare, better quality of staff etc more
Feb 13
