Railways which had introduced dynamic pricing, where train tickets were priced based on demand IRCTC is set to scrap the flexi-fare plan on 40 trains. Flexi-fare was scrapped after it drove
away passengers by making rail fares costlier than airline tickets.
away passengers by making rail fares costlier than airline tickets.
According to reports dynamic pricing for 40 trains which accounts for nearly a third of the total number of premium trains covered by the scheme will be dropped initially.
For the remaining 102 trains under the scheme, the railways is going to offer up to 50% discount for ‘last-minute’ bookings made for seats available up to four days before the journey. There is also a graded discount system being put in place for trains that see less than 60% bookings.
Under this scheme, up to 20% discount could be available. The scheme was introduced for 44 Rajdhani, 46 Shatabdi and 52 Duronto trains — all in premium super-fast category — on September 9, 2016. Rajdhanis and Shatabdis are entirely air-conditioned trains, while Durantos have a mix of AC and non-AC coaches.
According to reports, the flexi-fare scheme is being scrapped for trains that have shown 50% “utilisation” — a euphemism for bookings. Similarly, the plan is being tweaked to offer convenience and competitive fares to travellers and raise revenue for the railways.
