Indian Railways: Why are online train tickets more expensive than counter tickets?

Train ticket booking: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw answered a question raised by member Sanjay Raut about why online train tickets are more expensive than counter tickets. He said that IRCTC charges a convenience fee for online ticket booking facilities, which covers infrastructure maintenance costs.

Indian Railways is the backbone of the Indian economy. The Railway Department has taken many steps to provide better services to passengers. In this context, it has introduced a system for rail passengers to buy tickets online and offline.

Passengers can book tickets online through the IRCTC website and mobile app. For this, you need to have an account with IRCTC. It can also be booked through the PRS counter at railway stations.

PRS (Passenger Reservation System) means the ticket booking counter at railway stations. This is a computerized system. It is used by passengers to book and cancel tickets online. PRS counters are open from 8 am to 8 pm every day except weekends. However, working hours vary depending on the area.

In this context, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw answered a question raised by member Sanjay Raut in Rajya Sabha about the price of train tickets. Passengers pay more to buy train tickets online through IRCTC than those who buy tickets directly. Sanjay Raut questioned what is the reason for this price difference?

In response, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that IRCTC provides online ticket booking facility. This eliminates the need for passengers to go to booking counters to book tickets. This saves travel time and transportation costs.

At the same time, the Railway Minister said that a convenience fee is charged to cover the cost of IRCTC in providing online ticket booking facilities and infrastructure maintenance costs.

In addition, customers also pay transaction charges to banks. The online ticket booking facility provided by IRCTC is very useful for passengers. Currently, more than 80% of the train tickets being booked are booked online, said Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.