The Congress claimed on Wednesday that Indian Railways was charging 25% to 30% higher fares on special trains being deployed during the festival season.
Also read: Southern Railway to operate special trains for festival season
Addressing a press conference, party spokesperson Gourav Vallabh demanded an immediate rollback and criticised the government for effecting a hike during the corona pandemic.
“The hike is more for sleeper class than second AC... For example, the cost of a train journey from Patna to Delhi in sleeper is ₹510, but in the festival special trains, it is costing ₹650,” Mr. Vallabh said. “There is no reason to increase the fares in current times. On the contrary, these fares should have been subsidised heavily.”
The Congress said though the move to deploy additional trains during festival season was a welcome move, the government should not have burdened the common man with an increased fare.
Also read: ECoR announces festival special trains
“With millions of people having lost jobs in the last few months, the government instead of providing festival stimulus has decided to further pull the common man down. We demand that the government roll back these increased fares immediately and subsidise them so that rail travel becomes accessible to the common man and their festive travel doesn’t make a deep hole in their pockets,” Mr. Vallabh said.
