According to the Panel's report, Free passes to luxurious trains are among one of the most problematic reasons due to which losses have been incurred to the Indian Railways.
A parliamentary panel report has revealed that Complimentary passes, less occupancies in Indian Railways luxurious traons including Maharaja's Express and Palace on the wheels are negatively impacting Railwats' balance sheets.
According to the Panel's report, Free passes to luxurious trains are among one of the most problematic reasons due to which losses have been incurred to the Indian Railways.
The Panel has asked Railway officers to stop providing complimentary passes on luxury trains with immediate effect. The report stated that in the five years between 2012 and 2017, the luxury tourist trains — Palace on Wheels, Maharaja’s Express, Golden Chariot, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels and Deccan Odyssey — have run with vacant seats ranging between 45 and 63 per cent of their capacity. The tariff for the trains range from US $ 500 (Rs 31,600) to US $ 850 (Rs 53,000), the Indian Express reported.
Terming the figures as “shocking findings”, the standing committee on Railways, headed by Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, noted that during the same period the haulage charges levied on these trains by the Railways has been far more than the revenue some of the trains have earned. The report was tabled in Lok Sabha on Thursday.
“These trains carry the image of Railways all over the world and are considered as iconic products /services in the luxury segment of tourism in India,” the report says. The committee focused on complimentary passes, saying it made little sense to the committee. “The committee fails to understand the need to provide complimentary travel when these luxury trains have hardly been generating the revenue to meet their own working expenses,” the report said.
"As a public entity financed by the budget, the railways have no right to misuse the tax payers' money by providing advances to some people in the form of complimentary travel in these luxury trains,'' the committee noted in the report urging the government to "discontinue the system with immediate effect.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Parl panel not happy with Railways for giving complimentary tickets for luxury trains")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}