Pay ₹5- ₹15 more for journey on AC local train from June 1

According to WR officials, a single journey fare will cost a minimum of ₹65 instead of ₹60; while a single journey between Churchgate and Virar will cost a maximum of ₹220 instead of the current fare of ₹205.

Your commute on the air-conditioned (AC) local is set to become dearer by ₹5 to ₹15, depending on the distance you travel, after the Ministry of Railways on Thursday decided to end the discounted fares. The revised fares will be charged from June 1.

Your commute on the air-conditioned (AC) local is set to become dearer by ₹5 to ₹15, depending on the distance you travel, after the Ministry of Railways on Thursday decided to end the discounted fares. (Hindustan Times)

The cost of a monthly pass will increase by ₹50 to ₹165. “No difference of fares will be collected on season tickets that have already been issued,” said a Western Railway (WR) spokesperson, on condition of anonymity.

According to WR officials, a single journey fare will cost a minimum of ₹65 instead of ₹60; while a single journey between Churchgate and Virar will cost a maximum of ₹220 instead of the current fare of ₹205. For a monthly pass, commuters will have to spend a minimum of ₹620 instead of ₹570, while the maximum amo-unt will be ₹2,205 instead of ₹2,040.

The first AC local was introduced on WR on December 25, 2017. The discounted fares were valid for only six months, but the ministry extended the offer thrice in two years, the latest extension coming last month. The offer was valid till May 31, 2019.

The revised fares also include supplementary charges like MUTP (Mumbai Urban Transport Project) and GST (Goods and Services Tax).

WR officials said since the introduction of the AC local, 54.58 lakh passengers have travelled on it, which has helped generate a revenue of ₹23.92 crore.

Activists, however, were unhappy with the fare hike. “The Railways should lower the fares to optimise utilisation,” said AV Shenoy, a transport expert.