Almost two-third of regular train users will not have have to pay any extra due to the train fare increase which comes into effect from Wednesday.

“Keeping the affordability concerns of daily commuters, there shall be no fare hike for passengers over suburban sections and season ticket holders. This class constitutes 66 per cent of total passenger segment over Indian Railways,” said an official release.

The last fare revision over Indian Railways was done in 2014-15, said the statement. The official statement ignored the indirect increase in charges of various services which resulted in train users paying extra for the same service like dynamic pricing, among others during the period.

Comptroller and Auditor General and several other committees have flagged the need for Railways to increase passenger fares in regular intervals.

It was imperative to increase the fare marginally without overburdening any class of passengers to modernise railways, said the release. It added that the burden of 7th Pay Commission on Indian Railway has necessitated rationalisation of fares.

Chairman reappointed

In another move, Vinod Kumar Yadav assumed charge on Wednesday after being re-appointed as Chairman Railway Board (CRB), in the rank of Ex-Officio Principal Secretary to Government of India. Yadav was slated to retire on December 31. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) approved re-employment of Yadav as CRB for one year, according to the release.

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