Good news for Indian Railways passengers! Flexi-Fare scheme set to be scrapped; details here
Indian Railways had introduced dynamic pricing on September 7, 2016. Two years after its introduction, Indian Railways is all set to do away with the much-criticised flexi-fare scheme. The scheme has also been under CAG scrutiny.
Two years after it was introduced in September 2016, Indian Railways is all set to do away with the much-criticised flexi-fare scheme. The scheme was introduced in over 140 Rajdhani, 46 Shatabdi and 52 Duronto Express trains. (Photo: Agencies)
Flexi-fare: What is Railways' next move?
According to some senior officials, Indian Railways is set to scrap the flexi-fare scheme for as many as 40 trains and the transporter will offer 50 per cent discount on flexi-fare charges on the remaining 102 premium trains. (Photo: Agencies)
What is Flexi-Fare scheme?
The railways had put the base fare for Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi on the flexi-fare system. The base fares increase by 10% with every 10% of berths sold subject to a prescribed ceiling limit as indicated in the table. In this table, ‘X’ stands for the present base fares.
These 40 trains are those where demand is less and seat occupancy has been around 50 per cent. (Photo: Agencies)
Flexi-fare impact on ticket prices?
So, will the tickets prices go down? Consider the case of Delhi-Mumbai Rajdhani. The 3AC fare is Rs 2,040 (without flexi-fare). This includes a base of Rs 1,624. The fare goes up to Rs 2,700 under dynamic pricing based on demands. In this case, the Railways charges around Rs 650 under the flexi-fare scheme. (Photo: PTI)
If the flexi fare is done away with, you still will have to pay the normal fare, in this case Rs 2,040. However, you will save on paying extra under the flexi-fare rule. (Photo: PTI)