In order to regulate the footfall as part of Covid-19 safety regulations, the South Eastern Railways (SER) has directed its railway divisions in Jharkhand and West Bengal to raise the price of platform tickets in all its busy railway stations by 300%.
In order to regulate the footfall as part of Covid-19 safety regulations, the South Eastern Railways (SER) has directed its railway divisions in Jharkhand and West Bengal to raise the price of platform tickets in all its busy railway stations by 300%.
A circular in this regard issued by SER late last month directed Ranchi, Chakradharpur, Adra, and Kharagpur railway divisions, and the platform ticket prices were raised last week.
The circular came weeks after a January 5 order issued to the divisions, which allowed the sale of platform tickets on its premises. Since partial railway services began in June after 90 days of lockdown, only passengers with confirmed tickets were being allowed to enter till the January 5 order was issued.
According to the new rate, visitors entering Ranchi and Hatia railway stations will have to shell out Rs 30 for a platform ticket, which is three times the amount levied before the lockdown came into effect in March last year. Platform ticket at Tatanagar railway station in Jamshedpur has been priced at Rs 40 alongside Kharagpur in West Bengal. Likewise, visitors who want to see off their kin in Muri and Chakradharpur railway stations will have to pay Rs 20.
Satish Sahu, the father of one Bihar-bound student, Rajesh, rued, “Firstly, they did not reinstate the service of the regular trains stopped but introduced special trains, which are levying 1.3 times more than the original fare. And now, the railways has raised the platform tickets arbitrarily without giving a thought about its bearings on the passengers or their kin."
A senior Ranchi division official said, “It is a decision made by the SER to limit the footfall on railway stations to prevent a surge in Covid-19 cases. The circular came a couple of weeks ago, but it was implemented last week.” a senior Ranchi division official said, on anonymity.
SER officials in its headquarters in Kolkata did not respond when contacted.
Meanwhile, the Jharkhand Passengers’ Association (JPA) reacted strongly to the hike. "Despite Covid-19 cases being on the wane, the railways is not resuming the operations of its regular trains. Now, they are charging very high for platform tickets. The Union government has stopped thinking about common people," JPA secretary Prem Kataruka said.
Notably, only 39 pairs of festival special trains are currently operating from the Ranchi division.
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