Starting this Friday, passenger fares of the premier Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains have been hiked by a maximum of 50%. The Railways run 22 Duronto, 25 Rajdhani and 38 Shatabdi trains between major cities. The Railways carry 23 million people daily but successive governments have backed away from reforms and especially hiking passenger fares, which is a politically sensitive topic. As a result, the country’s largest employer runs many trains at rock-bottom fares and struggles to balance its books. For example, the maximum fare for a Delhi-Mumbai Rajdhani train is way higher than a ticket for an Indigo or Spicejet flight.

Source: Hindustan Times September 07, 2016 14:40 UTC