WR cuts down summer special trains charging normal fare: RTI

Amid a huge rush of passengers during summers leading to alleged 'black-marketing' of tickets, the Western Railway this year markedly cut down the number of special trains charging normal fares during the peak season, as per an RTI query.
"This year the Western Railway ran only two special trains having normal fares. These two (summer special) trains did 48 rounds (to and fro). During previous years, more such trains were run during the peak summer time," Right to Information (RTI) activist Chandrashekhar Gaur told PTI here today, as per the reply received by him.
According to information received by him through an RTI query, the WR in 2014 ran 26 summer special trains having normal fare which did 1,011 rounds (to and fro). The Western Railway ran 31 such summer special trains (which made 1,727 rounds) in 2013, 24 (that did 630 rounds) in 2012 and 33 (1,420 rounds) in 2011.

"Instead of running the special trains having normal fare to clear the heavy rush of passengers during summers, the Western Railway is now putting more emphasis on running premium trains which have comparatively higher fare. This is leading to the railway earning more, but is causing problems for the lower income group passengers," said the RTI activist, who is a resident of Madhya Pradesh's Neemuch district.
Gaur said when he sought to know from the WR about the reasons behind the decision to run premium trains charging comparatively more than others, he got a reply that these trains are run on the directives of the Railway Board, demands received from the commercial department and on the basis of operational feasibility.