Shillong, July 6: The Indian Railways is conducting a review of the fares for certain low-occupancy Vande Bharat trains with the aim of reducing prices and making them more affordable for passengers.
According to reports, trains such as the Indore-Bhopal, Bhopal-Jabalpur, and Nagpur-Bilaspur Express, among others, are likely to be included in this category.
The Bhopal-Jabalpur Vande Bharat service has recorded a 29% occupancy rate, while the Indore-Bhopal Vande Bharat Express has only achieved a 21% occupancy rate. Currently, the journey costs Rs 950 for an AC Chair car ticket and Rs 1,525 for an Executive Chair Car ticket.
Following the Railways’ review, the fares of these Vande Bharat services could be significantly reduced to encourage greater usage of the train services.
Another train under review is the Nagpur-Bilaspur Vande Bharat Express, which has an average occupancy rate of around 55%. With a travel time of approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes, it is believed that the train would perform better if the prices were lowered.
The fare for the executive class on the Nagpur-Bilaspur Vande Bharat Express is currently Rs 2,045, while the Chair Car fare is Rs 1,075. Due to low occupancy, this train was replaced by the Tejas Express in May.
The Bhopal-Jabalpur Vande Bharat Express, with a 32% occupancy rate, and its return journey on the Jabalpur-Bhopal service, which has shown a 36% occupancy rate, are also expected to undergo fare reductions.
So far, 46 Vande Bharat Express services have been introduced in all rail-electrified states of the country. The Vande Bharat trains with the highest occupancy rates include the Kasaragod to Trivandrum train (183%), Trivandrum to Kasaragod Vande Bharat train (176%), and the Gandhinagar-Mumbai Central Vande Bharat Express (134%), among others.