Railway passenger fare hiked by 14.2% with immediate effect from today

[Tshering22]

Good decision. Railways needs money and lots of it to transform Indian rail infrastructure.

Enough of doleouts, I hope all other fellow Indians also realize the importance.

This is indeed like the bitter medicine a patient foolishly rejects to save himself from a major disease.

Hope educated Indians help spread awareness among the daaru-chikan crowd.

 

[harpoon]

If Indians want first world services from IR. They also better be ready to pay first world rates for the services.

 

[Kloitra]

I never said that they should cut taxes...! On the contrary, I even agreed that price hikes to improve the railway system as such is justifiable. But a modest rise and in a situation when the money is available for the public and the industry.

I believe it is more of an emergency. The previous govt had taken the decision but backed of due to the election. 15 and 7% is not that big of a hike either.

So are you saying that they will use the money from the railway to improve infrastructure and storages, which is unrelated to the modernisation of the railway?

Railway infrastructure. Means to improve transport. If I remember correctly there have been talks about improving max speed of trains on existing rails with a little upgrade. I am hoping that this, among other changes will improve transportation significantly.

No denying in that in general, but neither is it a little hike, nor does it include the financial situation of today. You can't hike the price like that only because the government might not have it right now and with the hope that it will have a positve effect in future, when it has a negative effect right now!
That's why I said, if they really would had raised the price a little and directly announce a constant increase over the next years, as well as for what the money is intended to use, a raise indeed makes sense. But like this it hurts the man that has to use the train daily to reach his job, while there won't be any immediate effect on the speed or the safty of his journey.

The passenger fares are too low. A 15% hike is well deserved, knowing that railway is on the verge of bankruptcy. Can you be sure that this decision taken without being sure of how long railway can sustain itself while making the enormous losses that it is? Neither of us is privy to railway funds. Than you would have to claim that a smaller change, say 5%, would keep railway in game till next hike.

 

[sancho]

I guess we won't agree. Your economic positions are simply very different from mine There is a reason why no money has been available to defence. Subsidies don't pay for themselves, something else gets scalped, usually defence & infrastructure. There is always a cost, just depend where you want it to show up.

The fact that we spent that money on other defence maters maybe? It's a myth that we don't have money for defence, we increased the budget last year too, so that has no relation to these railway fares and as I said, I am not against a hike, but we have to consider the effect on the public and the industry too and not just trying to justify it with the situation of the railway in general, because the earlier should have far more importance at the moment and according to what the BJP said in during the elections, also to them.

Can you be sure that this decision taken without being sure of how long railway can sustain itself while making the enormous losses that it is? Neither of us is privy to railway funds. Than you would have to claim that a smaller change, say 5%, would keep railway in game till next hike.

It doesn't matter if the railway takes losses, since as you pointed out earlier, this 15% increase doesn't balance it as a short term measure, the effect on the public and the industry how ever is what matters, since it can effect the growth, especially when it is just picking up pace again.

 

[Koovie]

As long as they use the money to improve quality and safety I am happy with this!

 

[Bang Galore]

The fact that we spent that money on other defence maters maybe? It's a myth that we don't have money for defence, we increased the budget last year too, so that has no relation to these railway fares and as I said, I am not against a hike, but we have to consider the effect on the public and the industry too and not just trying to justify it with the situation of the railway in general, because the earlier should have far more importance at the moment and according to what the BJP said in during the elections, also to them.

Wrong to suggest that defence money comes from another planet. The defence ministry ends up being short changed because the finance ministry needs money. You somehow seem to operate on the idea that money for railways & money for defence come from different places. They don't, every time the FM is under pressure, they will put off capital expenditure on defence & infrastructure.

 

[Kloitra]

It doesn't matter if the railway takes losses, since as you pointed out earlier, this 15% increase doesn't balance it as a short term measure, the effect on the public and the industry how ever is what matters, since it can effect the growth, especially when it is just picking up pace again.

Again, you are claiming that railway, or the government can withstand a smaller increase. The government is under great strain to reduce fiscal deficit, that would be the first priority than to look into growth.