Reduction of fares by upto 30% a few Shatabdies like NewDelhi-Moga and Howrah-Ranchi shall be an incoherent step and raises many questions
(1) On the one hand IR keep II GEN fares extremely low and much lower than equivalent bus-fares just on the pretext that "poor people" travel in General classes conveniently forgetting that the same people travel in buses too although at much higher fares. IR on the other hand, spare ACI, EC, from any flexi/special fare in which rich people travel, on the pretext that they will switch over to air travel. Then IR has no moral right to loot the middle class people through exorbitant Suvidha/Flexi/Special fares in its ac/SL classes.
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On the one hand IR become Santa Claus & provide almost free or a ridiculously low fares in unreserved class and on the other hand charge higher than the worst touts by charging about 4 times the normal fare, in the name of Suvidha/ Premium Tatkal. Still, the person purchasing the costliest Suvidha ticket will find "IR recovers only 57% of its cost" printed on his ticket!. It must be realised that monopolist organisations in private sector are a den of profiteering and in govt. sector are a den of inefficiency and corruption. IR has become a den of all i.e. profiteering, inefficieny and corruption.
(3) Reduction in fare must be done in ACDD CC fares also to increase occupancy, as their costing is much lower than normal AC CC fares. This step could change the fortune of many ACDDs struggling to survive over IR network. IR is ready to subsidise NonAC classes/PassengerTrains for poor and also to reduce fares for Shatabdies for the rich travellers, but the unfortunate Middle Class paxs travelling in cumbersome ACDD coaches shall not be given any rebate? why??
(4) A very practical solution to increase the occupancy and increase revenue is to make NewDelhi-Moga (10CC+1EC-but very poor occupancy), HWH-Ranchi (7CC+1EC) Shatabdies into LHB Duronto trains with same facility and fare but with addition of many non ac chaircar coaches (with individual & comfortable seats like JS). Both the trains can maintain same speeds & timings but shall run with large number of coaches.
(5) It has been reported hundred times that IR is planning to do away with flexifares, but it looks like IR has become addicted to blood of easy money of hapless paxs and taking undue advantage of its monopoly. It is high time to permit entry of private operators to introduce freight as well as passenger trains with level playing field with IR to promote competition, as has been done in aviation sector.