NEW DELHI : Railroad passengers may have to fork out ₹10- ₹35 for their ticket fares, as users charge to take advantage of the remodeled stations with state-of-the-art amenities and to help the national carrier raise funds to redevelop more stations, the sources said.
This is part of a proposal that is being finalized by the Railways and will soon be sent for Cabinet approval, the sources said.
The user fee, the sources said, will vary by class – it would range from ₹10 and ₹35 with the highest price for first class passengers with air conditioning.
The Railways had previously clarified that the user fee would be charged only in stations to be remodeled and in those with heavy traffic.
Of the total 7,000 railway stations in the country, about 700-1,000 fall into this category, he said.
This is the first time that such a fee will be charged to rail users, which is applied to air passengers.
UDF is charged at various airports and the rate varies from city to city.
“User charges are essentially a small token amount that, when collected, will be reinvested in improving the amenities and facilities for all passengers at the train station,” said a spokesman for the Ministry of Railways.
“The amount of this fee is expected to be very reasonable and minimalist so that it is not a burden for anyone, especially for ordinary people. This small sum will only be charged at stations where footfall is high. Only the management facility will charge it when the development of the station is complete, ”he said.
The spokesperson added that the matter is under consideration and a final decision on the amount of the user charge has not been made. “But one thing is certain, that these user charges, as applied, would be minimal and would not be difficult for any passenger section,” he added.
The executive director of the Board of Railways, VK Yadav, at a press conference on September 17, said that the railways will not impose user fees at the 7,000 stations, but at “all major stations where the influx of passengers will increase. for the next five years. “
He added that the Center will soon issue a notification about user charges for the stations.
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