First Class local fares cut 50%; status quo for season pass

MUMBAI: The railway ministry on Sunday rolled out rationalised fare rates for single journey tickets of air-conditoned (AC) local trains and for First Class travel in non-AC local trains. While AC travel between CSMT-Thane and Churchgate-Borivli will cost Rs 95 as against Rs 180 earlier, First Class travel in non-AC trains for the routes will now cost Rs 85 instead of Rs 150.
Although the ministry had announced a 50% reduction in fares for AC trains, TOI had, in its Saturday edition, hinted that fares for First Class travel could be slashed too. The new fare structure will come into effect from May 5.

The minimum fare for travel by AC train for a 5-km distance will now be Rs 35 instead of Rs 65; for First Class travel in non-AC local, it will be Rs 25 as against Rs 50.
There will, however, be no change in fare for season tickets of AC or First Class suburban travel.
Chairman and chief executive officer of Railway board V K Tripathi, who reviewed Central and Western Railways fares on Saturday, ruled out any immediate possibility of restoration of concessional fares for senior citizens or cuts in season ticket fares of air-conditioned locals citing Sri Lanka as an example, where populist moves have led to serious economic crisis.
“People in Mumbai can easily afford to pay this much... We can take the case of Sri Lanka, where freebies have caused economic crisis,” said Tripathi, adding that two more AC locals will arrive in Mumbai by June 2022.
Railway ministry had withdrawn concessional fare to all categories of passengers while running special trains during Covid. Before March 2020, 50% discount was given to women senior citizen passengers and 40% to men senior citizens for travel by railways in all classes.
In view of the pandemic and covid protocol, concession to all categories of passengers (except 4 categories of Divyangjan and 11 categories of patients and students) had been withdrawn. Asked about state government dues to Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), Tripathi said, “We are in talks with the state government and the issue will be resolved soon.”
On the progress of Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, he said, “Things are moving ahead as 60% of land acquisition has been completed in Maharashtra and 99% in Gujarat.”