Chandigarh: Shatabdi ticket prices surge by 50% due to airport closure

Officials of the Northern Railways’ Ambala division said surge pricing may continue till the end of this month.

With Chandigarh International Airport closed for runway expansion and rush of people heading out on summer vacation, travelling to Delhi on Shatabdi has been pinching pockets for the past nine days.

The price hike is because of the dynamic pricing system, under which base fares jump by 10% for every 10% of seats booked in Shatabdi, with a cap of 50% hike in the original fare. (HT File)

Against the normal one-way fare of Rs 600, people are shelling out up to Rs 915 for the chair car ticket in the express train. The executive chair car ticket, which generally costs Rs 1,000, is now available for around Rs 1,300.

The price hike is because of the dynamic pricing system, under which base fares jump by 10% for every 10% of seats booked in Shatabdi, with a cap of 50% hike in the original fare.

Due to the rush, the normal chair car has reached the cap with tickets for the morning, afternoon and evening Shatabdis varying between Rs 820 and Rs 915. The executive chair car ticket price varies between Rs 1,215 and Rs 1,305 in morning, afternoon and evening Shatabdi respectively.

Another city resident, Simrat Kaur, said: “It is the peak time when residents go out on vacations. We are already suffering because of the airport closure and now booking a ticket in the Shatabdi has become a tall task. Even the tatkal system does not work as passengers are expected to book tickets as early as possible to avoid paying the higher fare.”

Officials of the Northern Railways’ Ambala division said surge pricing may continue till the end of this month.

Meanwhile, in terms of availability of seats, there are enough available in the normal chair car with no waiting list, but the executive chair car in all three Shatabdis are booked for the next 10 days. The waiting list, however, is not longer than 30.