NEW DELHI (Metro Rail News): The Indian Railways recently announced a fare reduction of up to 25% for AC Chair Car and Executive Classes, including Vande Bharat trains. This discount scheme aims to make travel more affordable for passengers. The new fares will be implemented on an immediate basis.
Discount Scheme for AC Sitting Accommodation
The discount scheme is applicable to all trains with AC sitting accommodation, including Vistadome and Anubhuti coaches. Passengers traveling in AC Chair Car and Executive Classes will enjoy reduced fares. However, it’s important to note that other charges will still apply separately.
According to a spokesperson the discount scheme does not apply to special trains introduced for holidays and festivals.
Optimizing Accommodation and Occupancy
To maximize accommodation utilization, the Ministry of Railways has delegated the authority to the Zonal Railways to introduce discounted fare schemes. Trains with less than 50% occupancy, either end to end or in specific legs/sections over the last 30 days, will be considered for the discount scheme.
VIP Tickets and Flexi Fare Scheme
Tickets for VIPs such as MLAs, ex-MLAs, MPs, ex-MPs, and freedom fighters will be booked at the original class-wise fare, not the discounted fare. In cases where the flexi fare scheme applies and occupancy is poor, the flexi fare scheme may be initially withdrawn to increase occupancy. Only if the occupancy does not improve, the discount scheme will be implemented for those trains/classes.
