The era of passenger trains seems to have come to an end with the Indian Railways redesignating them as express specials. The ‘second class ordinary fare’ meant for passenger trains has been dispensed with and commuters travelling in the express specials are charged express fares which is almost double the earlier rates.
According to railway sources, the passenger trains are being operated as express specials with the same old rakes and on the same routes and stoppages. While in the Chennai Division, the passenger trains have been replaced with Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU), some pairs of trains in Tiruchi and Madurai divisions are operating Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMUs).
Passenger trains which stop in almost all the stations are patronised by poor passengers, especially small vendors, farm workers and daily wage labourers among others, as the fares are the cheapest in railway network. But the express specials are now being charged on a par with express trains.
In MGR Chennai Central, one of the busiest railway stations in the country, booking clerks said the ordinary fare structure was no more applicable in suburban trains. The fares had doubled in some routes. For instance, the cost of travelling from Chennai to Tirupati in passenger or DEMU train was ₹35 before the COVID-19 pandemic. But after the COVID lockdown, the fare increased to ₹70. Similarly, the cost of ticket from Chennai Beach to Vellore and Chennai Egmore to Puducherry which were ₹30 and ₹45 have increased to ₹65 and ₹80 respectively, the sources said.
Asked whether the speed of the passenger trains had increased warranting levying of express fares, senior railway officials said the ordinary fare structure was dependent on the classification of the train whether it was a passenger or express train more than the train or stoppages. “The railways have dispensed with second class ordinary fare applicable to passenger trains post the pandemic. There are no more passenger trains…”
Fare chart
However, the Southern Railway has displayed a fare chart at the booking counters which still shows the pre-pandemic tariff or second-class ordinary fare structure that are no longer valid. “On several occasions the travelling public cite the fare displayed on the board and argue with us as to why they have to pay double the price. They are not aware or willing to understand that passenger trains don’t exist anymore. There are many complaints that the UTS App is also showing the old fares…,” a ticket booking clerk said.
Following public complaints, the South Western Railway restored the pre-COVID fare structure in its zone. In an order issued on February 22, 2024, the Principal Chief Commercial Manager instructed authorities in Hubballi, Bengaluru and Mysuru that all MEMU/DEMU and passenger trains stopping at all stations, enroute from originating point to destination, should be charged with second class ordinary passenger fare as it was done during the pre-COVID period with immediate effect, the sources said.
“Going by the rules, passenger trains are defined as passenger-carrying trains, which stop at almost all the stations enroute. These trains are slower by character and have lower fares than mail/express trains. Express trains are those which are faster and don’t stop at all stations. It appears that the decades-old concept of operating passenger trains has been dispensed with after the pandemic,” a railway official who did not want to be quoted said.
The doubling of fares as regards passenger trains or express specials would have contributed significantly to the passenger earnings in 2022-23. The Southern Railway said it generated the highest ever revenue of ₹6,345 crore in the passenger segment last year which was an 80% growth compared to the previous year. “There has been no formal announcement yet that passenger trains are being withdrawn or re-designated as express specials with increased fares,” the official added.
When contacted, senior railway officials said the slow-moving trains were still called passenger trains on record but operated as express specials with enhanced fares. “In the daily punctuality reports of divisions, we still call them as passenger trains only,” an official said.
