In response to vacant seats on certain short distance routes of the Vande Bharat trains, the government is considering slashing ticket fares to offer relief to passengers.
Railway authorities are reviewing the pricing structure, starting with routes like Delhi-Dehradun, with plans to extend the fare cuts to other routes as well.
The move comes after continuous criticism and trolling faced by the Railway Ministry regarding the ticket pricing.
Fare Reduction for Vande Bharat Trains:
Sources indicate that some Vande Bharat trains, especially those operating on short distances, have significant numbers of unoccupied seats. Consequently, the Railways is contemplating revising and reducing the fares for these trains.
Among the routes under review are Indore-Bhopal, Bhopal-Jabalpur, and Nagpur-Bilaspur, where seats remain largely empty.
The fares of the Bhopal-Indore Vande Bharat train are expected to witness substantial reductions in light of the large number of vacant seats.
Booking Trends and Potential Fare Cuts:
The Nagpur-Bilaspur Vande Bharat train has only 55 percent seat occupancy, indicating that a fare reduction could make it more appealing to passengers, given its five-and-a-half-hour journey duration.
Similarly, the Bhopal-Jabalpur Vande Bharat Express saw only 32 percent seat occupancy in June.
The railway officials believe that lowering the fares could attract more passengers to these trains and improve their occupancy rates.
Efforts to Increase Passenger Footfall:
According to official data from June, the Bhopal-Indore Vande Bharat train experienced a mere 29 percent seat occupancy, and the Indore-Bhopal train had 21 percent reservation.
The Railway aims to ensure convenient travel opportunities for all Vande Bharat passengers, and reducing fares on specific routes is seen as a step towards achieving this goal.
Despite most Vande Bharat trains experiencing high seat occupancy, the Railways is committed to making necessary adjustments to enhance the success of all trains in the network.
Successful Vande Bharat Trains:
While some routes face low occupancy, many Vande Bharat trains have been successful.
Kasaragod-Trivandrum Express boasts an impressive 183 percent booking, followed by Gandhinagar-Mumbai Central, Varanasi-New Delhi, Dehradun-Amritsar, and Mumbai-Sholapur trains, which all have over 100 percent booking rates.
Vande Bharat trains currently operate in 24 states and union territories across the country.
