No more 'special train' tag, fares to revert to pre-COVID times

New Delhi : Passengers have been demanding drop in fares of Indian trains from a long time and the government has finally listened to the demands as the Railways has issued an order to discontinue the "special" tag for mail and express trains and the pre-pandemic fares will be implemented from immediate effects.

Since the coronavirus triggered lockdown was announced in India, the Railways has been running only special trains. It started with long-distance trains and now, even short-distance passenger services are being run as special trains with "slightly higher fares" to "discourage people from avoidable travels".

In a letter to the zonal railways on Friday, the Railway Board said trains will now operate with their regular numbers and fares will revert to pre-COVID prices.

The ticket prices of special trains have been kept marginally higher than the regular fares.

"In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, all regular mail/express trains were being operated as MSPC (mail/express special) and HSP (holiday special). It has now been decided that the MSPC and HSP train services, included in the Working Time Table, 2021, shall be operated with regular numbers and with fares as applicable for the concerned classes of travel and type of train, as per the extant guidelines.

"This issues with the concurrence of Passenger Marketing Directorate of Railway Board," the order dated November 12 said.