Only proposed hikes on journey tickets have been rolled back.
The next time you're in the mood to take a jaunt to a suburban railway station, think of other ways to entertain yourself. For, from May 1, simply visiting a railway station may become more costly than boarding a local train.
The ministry of railways has issued a circular stating that the cost of a platform ticket will go up from Rs3 to Rs5 from that day. Contrast this with the minimum fare of Rs4 for a train journey on the Mumbai suburban railway. A platform ticket's validity period will continue to be two hours.
"The hike (proposed by former minister Dinesh Trivedi) was rolled back for journey tickets, but not for platform tickets. The budget has been passed in Parliament and the hike will now be enforced nationally," a senior official justified.
The commercial department's circular issued by the executive director (passenger marketing) of the railway board states that the zonal railways should print the revised tickets on a top priority basis and must ensure supply to all stations well in time. "Till such time the tickets are printed, the old stock of tickets may be used with the rate corrected with stamps. Wherever platform tickets are issued through self-help ticket vending kiosks, computerised networks or other machines, their software may be modified," it added.
Platform tickets in India have traditionally cost the same as the minimum second-class fare and have been quite popular with close relatives thronging stations to say goodbye to their near and dear ones. After the 26/11 terror attacks, though, a high-level railway panel had recommended the abolition of the existing system of allowing entry to railway platforms through platform tickets. Instead, it had suggested, only journey ticket-holders should be allowed access to platforms.
A few years ago, the RPF had come up with an idea of levying a "security cess" on people visiting railway stations through a hike in platform ticket fares, but the plan never took off.
){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}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}