Key Points :
- Private players (railways) have been given the freedom to fix fares their own way – V.K. Yadav, Chairman of Indian Railway’s Board said on Thursday.
- The proposal has already been sent to interested investors for modernizing railway stations
- The fares may increase and the amenities and service of the trains may improve.
- The decision may upset the daily traveling chunk of passengers.
The private-run trains are given the freedom to set their fares by themselves, officials announced on Friday. India will allow private companies to set passenger fares once the trains start their service. This is a move aimed at luring investors, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi opens up one of the oldest networks in Asia.
“Private players have been given the freedom to fix fares in their own way,” V.K. Yadav, chairman of India’s Railway Board, notified on Thursday. Before setting the rail fares, air-conditioned buses and airplanes that run on the routes the same as the rails must be considered.
रेलवे के आधुनिकीकरण के व्यापक प्रयास का बहुत बड़ा लाभ बिहार को, पूर्वी भारत को मिल रहा है।
बीते 6 साल में 3 हजार किलोमीटर से अधिक रेलमार्ग के बिजलीकरण के साथ बिहार में लगभग 90 प्रतिशत रेल नेटवर्क का बिजलीकरण पूरा हो चुका है। आज इसमें 5 और प्रोजेक्ट जुड़ गए हैं। pic.twitter.com/WH1bHJWFb4
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 18, 2020
“In the last 6 years, efforts are being made to shape Indian Railways as per the aspirations of new India and expectations of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The made in India trains are becoming part of rail network,” PM Modi said.
The nation depends on the extensively spread railway network and it is the cheapest means of travel. The railway fares are hence politically sensitive in India, where trains carry as many passengers as Australia’s population every single day. PM Modi’s administration has invited private companies to participate in everything from modernizing stations to operating trains after the network has been neglected since decades.
To run passenger trains over 109 origin-destination routes via 151 trains in July, the government has asked companies to submit their interest. The modernization of railway stations in New Delhi and Mumbai has been one of the requirements for the interested investors.
The increase in the fares may lead to better amenities and service but can also mean that passengers with a low economy may not be able to board on, on a daily basis.
