Now Reading: Special trains see low demand due to higher fares and delays: officials
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Special trains see low demand due to higher fares and delays: officials
Special trains see low demand due to higher fares and delays: officials
The Story in Brief
Railway officials have admitted that special trains run to clear the festive rush are less attractive to passengers due to higher fares, longer journey times, and poor punctuality. An official cited the New Delhi-Patna route where a special train charges Rs 1,745 for AC 3-tier, against Rs 1,390 on the regular Sampoorna Kranti Express, and takes nearly 23 hours against 13 hours. Another said such trains often arrive 25 to 30 hours late.
Despite the Railway Ministry's claim of operating 18,000 special train trips, the IRCTC website shows regular trains on almost all routes have long waiting lists or a ‘Regret’ status. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday a war room at Rail Bhawan is monitoring trains for safe and timely arrival. Senior officials have suggested the ministry should keep special train fares lower than regular ones given their longer travel times and uncertain schedules.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both sources carry virtually identical reporting from railway officials, with Deccan Herald adding the ministerial claim of 18,000 special trips and a war room. The officials' criticism, higher fares, longer journey times, poor punctuality, is the core of both stories, making the coverage uniformly critical of the special trains' design, not of the government per se. Deccan Herald places the official quotes beside the minister's statement, creating a tension between stated effort and ground reality. Neither outlet omits the other's key data. The independent reading: the railways acknowledge that while special trains serve festive demand, their pricing and scheduling deter passengers, leaving regular trains overloaded. The officials' suggestion to lower special-train fares relative to regular ones is the notable concrete next step in both versions.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 government-critical
Sources (2): ndtvprofit.com (government critical), deccanherald.com (government critical)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
