Soon, like flight fares, train fares to include 'user charge' at redeveloped, high footfall stations

[poornima lagadapati]

The Indian Railways will soon start levying 'user fees' as part of train fares for the stations that have been redeveloped and those with high footfall in order to generate revenue to provide better facilities for passengers, Railway Board Chairman VK Yadav said Thursday.

Once it comes into effect, it will be for the first time that such charges are levied on rail passengers. Yadav said the charges will be nominal and will be applicable in about 10-15 per cent of the 7,000 railway stations across the country.

'We are going to keep a very small amount for the user charge. We will issue a notification for the user charge for all stations including both those that are getting redeveloped and those that are not,' the chairman said.

 

[Himanshi Agarwal]

Wondering what this whole "user charge" is?

A user charge is a charge for the use of a product or service. A user charge may apply per use of the good or service or for the use of the good or service. The first is a charge for each time while the second is a charge for bulk or time-limited use.