Tickets may be auctioned online

The Rail Budget may not hold any big surprise for travellers who are likely to get only modified versions of some earlier schemes like the frequent traveller and e-ticketing. What, however, is expected is the introduction of on-line ticket auctioning.

This scheme, proposed to be introduced to a few trains initially, can push. prices down to half the normal fare. As the scheme envisages, bidding will continue till six hours before the departure of a train.

Officials said the railways would reserve 5-8 per cent of the seats for on-line auctions.

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad is expected to announce introduction of e-ticketing in two phases. The first phase, to be launched in March 2005, will be a trial run for three months on two trains. After June 2005, e-ticketing will be extended to other trains.

Previous Railway Minister Nitish Kumar had announced a similar programme in his interim budget last year, allowing people to travel computer generated slips as tickets. The implementation of this programme has taken time due to the railways' obsolete software, officials said.

Another announcement likely is of the frequent traveller scheme, which was also unveiled by Kumar last year.

Under the scheme, travellers can collect discount points for every train journey.

The scheme was originally for the Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi Express and the Jan Shatabdi Express with off-season discounts.

Prasad is, however, expected to announce a more ambitions frequent traveller scheme applicable to AC I, AC-II and AC chair cars of all trains with all-year discounts

The implementation of the scheme was delayed due to objections from the railway ministry's finance department over discounts given in the peak season.

While a 5 per cent discount is proposed during peak season, 10 per cent are to be offered during the rest of the year. Travellers wanting to avail of the scheme will be issued a loyalty-cum-credit card for crediting the discounts.