5-fold increase in platform ticket price in key stations in Mumbai. List here

The decision was taken to avoid overcrowding on the platforms.

The Central Railway increased the price of platform tickets at some key stations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The new rates came into force on February 24 and will remain effective till June 15 this year. The decision was taken to avoid overcrowding on the platforms in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

A Mumbai railway station during the morning hours. (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo )

“The decision was taken to prevent overcrowding at these stations during the summer travel rush," Central Railway’s chief public relations officer Shivaji Sutar said, as per news agency PTI. According to the new change in prices, a platform ticket now costs ₹50 instead of the previous rate of ₹10. The price hike is done in accordance with power delegated by the Railway Board as the railways in 2015 had given the power to divisional railway managers (DRMs) to raise the rate of platform tickets to control rush at platforms in specific conditions.

The stations were the prices have been increased are:

• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus
• Dadar and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Mumbai
• Thane railway station
• Kalyan junction railway station
• Panvel railway station
• Bhiwandi road railway stations

Maharashtra has been witnessing a spike in Covid-19 cases for the past three weeks. The state recorded 6,397 fresh cases on Monday which took the Covid19 tally to 21, 61,467 cases. The number of fatalities now stands at 52,184, with 30 new additions on Monday. Mumbai recorded 855 new Covid-19 cases and four deaths on Monday.

The Indian Railways had also taken a similar decision in August 2020 when it hiked the rate of platform tickets to ₹50 at the Pune railway station. The railways have been controlling platform ticket rates in a similar manner since the early days of the pandemic.