The Railways has decided to keep the fares for its air-conditioned local service unchanged for the next six months.
When the service was introduced, the fare was pegged at 1.3 times the regular first class fare. However, as an introductory incentive, the Railways decided to charge passengers 1.2 times the first class fare for the first six months.
“Considering the enthusiastic response from the commuters for the air-conditioned service over the last six months, the ministry has decided to further extend the introductory fare for six months,” Chief Public Relations Officer, Western Railway, Ravinder Bhakar, said.
The difference in the actual and introductory fare will continue to be shown on the ticket as a discount.
The sole AC train runs twelve daily services between Monday and Friday. The service has been gaining popularity ever since it was introduced on Christmas last year, earning Western Railway (WR ) over ₹7 crore since then. The ridership spiked in April and May, during which WR earned ₹3.2 crore. On an average, WR earned ₹6 lakh a day from the service in May.