Indian Railways: Fares Go Down And Occupancy Rises After Flex-Price System Dropped On Some Shatabdi Trains

The flexi-fare system has been discontinued by the Indian Railways on a majority of Shatabdi trains on the Delhi-Chandigarh and Delhi-Kalka routes from 15 March onwards, effectively resulting in reduced ticket prices for passengers, reports The Tribune.

“Dynamic pricing has been completely discontinued on the trains 12006 and 12012 since March 15. It has been decided that the flexi fare on some other Shatabdis — 12005, 12045 and 12046 — will be discontinued during the lean months of February, March and August. The flexi-fare will remain in place on the train 12011 since it enjoys high occupancy-rate,” stated a spokesperson for the Railways.

The move has resulted in a sharp drop in fares on many of the trains. For example, a ticket on the morning Shatabdi from Chandigarh can now be bought for Rs 595, while earlier it could set one back by almost Rs 800.

Some reports had suggested that dynamic pricing was having a negative impact on occupancy rates on these Shatabdi trains.

Railways Minister Piyush Goyal had explained on Twitter that the move was motivated by making fares cheaper for travellers and also improving occupancy rates.

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