Mumbai: Ever since Metro 7 and 2A (Metro 2A and 7) has started running from the occasion of Gudi Padwa, Mumbaikars have started stinging its fare even more. People have once again started raising the demand of reducing the fare of AC local to the metro trains around. They say that when the metro train and its stations have more amenities than the local trains and its fare is starting from Rs 10, then why the minimum fare of AC local is Rs 65?
Significantly, Indian Railways has planned to reduce the maximum fare of AC local trains in Mumbai from Rs 220 to Rs 80 and under this the fare for a distance of 5 km is also expected to be reduced from Rs 65 to Rs 10. But due to the delay, many questions have started to arise and passengers have asked when will the decision on it be finally taken. However, this railway has again reiterated the need to take a decision soon.
letter written again to railway minister
The Railway Passengers Association has been raising the demand for reduction of AC local fare for a long time. Railway affairs expert and former DRUCC member Rajiv Singal says that representatives of many chambers of commerce and other organizations have raised the demand of reducing the fare of Bar AC local from the railways in every forum for the last two years continuously. Still don’t know why railway is not able to take any decision and it is railway failure. In a letter to the Ministry of Railways, Singal has told that apart from cutting the fare, the railways will also have to increase the frequency of AC local trains, because till the railway does not take any good decision in the interest of the passengers, the AC local will run only. Will stay Remember that in a recent survey, it was found that 80 percent of Mumbaikars were ready for semi AC local in some form or the other.
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AC local fare from Rs 65 to Rs 220
A demand has been raised to make the fare of single ticket travel in AC local on the lines of Mumbai Metro run by MMRDA and a list of uniform fares has been prepared and sent to the Ministry. After the approval of the Railways, there will be a huge reduction in the train fare. At present, passengers have to pay Rs 65 to Rs 220 for this. At present, the fare for a general class local from Churchgate to Mumbai Central is Rs 5, but in an AC local it is Rs 65. Passengers demand that the fare of AC local for the same distance should also be 15 to 20 rupees only. It is worth noting that Raosaheb Patil Danve, Minister of State for Railways has also said that a final decision will be taken in this regard soon. The Railways itself believes that fixing the fare of AC local equal to the charge of Mumbai Metro will increase the number of passengers. The Mumbai Metro has a fare structure between stations, which includes Rs 20 for two stations and Rs 40 for four stations. With this, the Railways hope that the financial loss currently being incurred by this project will be reduced.
AC local is running empty. In this, more TCs travel than passengers and this is a gross failure of the central government. Now the time has come for the central government to intervene immediately to give relief to Mumbaikars. First class ticket and pass holders should be allowed to travel in AC immediately. Due to this, the passengers of the local will gradually shift to the AC local.
– Rajeev Single, former DRUCC member
The current formula for fixing railway fares is centuries old. The sooner it is rectified the better. If the railways wants to increase the fare of season ticket by 25 percent and reduce it by the same amount in single ticket because season ticket becomes one third of single ticket. The fare of AC should be equal to that of first class. The fare for second class can also be increased.
– Ashok Datar, transport expert