No concession on Vande Bharat fare from Mumbai

Commuters taking Vande Bharat trains from Mumbai will not receive up to 25% fare reduction for AC chair cars and executive classes due to high demand. The concession will only apply to trains with a demand of less than 50%.

Mumbai: Commuters taking the Vande Bharat trains from Mumbai will not be able enjoy up to 25% trimming in fares for AC chair cars and executive classes as the rail authorities claimed that the train has a demand of over 90%.

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According to the Central Railway (CR) authorities, all their trains having chair car and vistadome coaches are doing well with a booking average of over 90%. “The concession of up to 25% to fares will not be applicable to Vande Bharat and other trains with chair car and vistadome starting from Mumbai, as demands are exceptionally well. Only those trains having a demand of less than 50% will offer the concession,” an official said.

Vande Bharat trains on CSMT-Madgaon, CSMT-Shirdi and CSMT-Solapur starting from Mumbai on Central Railway are doing well. According to statistics provided by the CR, they have 37 trains having air conditioned chair cars running 3,804 trips and 9 trains with vistadome coaches that completed 251 trips from June 1 to 30.

Senior officials said that all these trains including Vande Bharat have seen an average occupancy of 105%, while vistadome has demand for 96% seats occupied between June 1 to 30. These trains run on both up and down lines, including those starting from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Even the Mumbai Central - Gandhinagar Vande Bharat is doing well on the Western Railway.

However, people have expressed unhappiness over being deprived of discounted fares while those travelling in other parts of the country with less than 50% footfall in these high-end trains will get to travel for cheap. “This is unfair for Mumbaikars. The concessions should be levied for all trains having Chair Car, Vistadome irrespective of the footfall,” said Madhu Kotian, president, Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh.

From June 1 to 30, the 37 trains with chair cars finished 3,804 trips, while the 9 trains with vistadome coaches completed 251 trips. Dr Shivraj Manaspure, Chief PRO, CR said: “Central Railway’s all trains have occupancy of more than 50%. In fact, all are having almost or more than 100% occupancy. Also, all 4 Vande Bharat trains of CR have more than 50% occupancy.”