At its very essence it was a service that reliably and cost-effectively assured the citizens of India transportation across the country through its extensive network. This objective is being fast given the go-by by the present BJP-led NDA government and the Railways are being converted to the profit motive. In terms of passenger services ticketing was adapted to include ‘tatkal’ facility for a portion of the available seats to accommodate those who wanted to travel for emergent reasons. This was a welcome facility and nobody really minded the extra surcharge for ‘tatkal’. However, as time went by, having tasted blood the Railways have come out with this principle of dynamic pricing to arrive at pricing tickets according to demand. This is somewhat or exactly what the airlines do. The Railways arrived at this premise after having enhanced the surcharge for ‘tatkal’ and having tested the waters and finding not much of a negative feedback, decided to examine dynamic pricing in a more serious fashion. Now the logic for pricing tickets according to their demand cannot be faulted. Neither can the necessity of running the Railways at a profit which is the supposedly primary aim can be disputed. But the larger objective seems to be the aim to provide transportation at an attractive cost to air passengers and lure them to the Railways. This will mean that the amenities offered by the Railways will have to improve otherwise the air passengers will not stoop to travel by rail. This logic can also not be refuted, since don’t we all ask for better amenities on our trains? But then what happens to poor Lallu Ram from Farookhabad who used to visit his married daughter in Delhi some 500 Km. away every month. With the dynamic pricing, there will be a bigger hole in Lallu’s pocket. Instead of monthly he may decide to go quarterly. But as time goes by he will find that he is unable to get a seat on the train since better paying travelers have usurped all the seats. Thus the Railways should remain as a cost-effective and affordable commuting service to India’s citizens. which was its original charter.
Do not exclude the Aam Admi from using the Indian Railways
This refers to the flexible ticket pricing proposed in the Indian Railways. The Railways has been variously called as the backbone of the nation, its life-line.
