Railways fare hike: Indian Railways will increase train fares marginally from July 1, 2025. People of Sitamarhi are demanding improvement in facilities. Vande Bharat trains are out of reach of common people.
Indian Railways is going to increase the fares of mail, express and AC/non-AC trains marginally from July 1, 2025. The Railway Board has sent its proposal to the Railway Ministry. According to the proposal, the fare will increase by 1 paisa per kilometer in non-AC class and 2 paisa per kilometer in AC class. That is, if a passenger travels 1000 km, he will have to pay Rs 10 extra in non-AC and Rs 20 extra in AC.
This increase is definitely nominal, but the reaction of the general public, especially the people of the border area Sitamarhi, is somewhat different. People say that increasing the fare is not a big deal, but there is no improvement in the facilities. The number of trains running from Sitamarhi is already limited, and the trains that are there also lack basic facilities.
People of Sitamarhi say that it is not a matter of money, it is a matter of convenience. When the government is trying to increase revenue by even one paisa per kilometer, then it is also important to provide the best facilities to the passengers by using that money properly. Otherwise this decision will become a burden for the public, not beneficial.
Paras Kumar, a resident of the city, says, ‘An increase of Rs 10 in 1000 kilometers is not a big issue. But this is not a matter of one passenger, it is a matter of lakhs of people. If the railways is increasing the fare, then it should also provide facilities. Where trains are running less, new trains are needed.’
Vande Bharat train is out of reach of common people
Avnish Kumar says that ‘Nowadays Aadhaar verification has been made mandatory for getting Tatkal tickets. Many people in rural areas have not been able to link Aadhaar yet, this can become a problem for them. Also, the Vande Bharat trains that are being run are out of reach of common people.
The fare ranges from ₹500 to ₹650, while the bus fare is only ₹120 to ₹150. Avnish further says, there is only one train from Sitamarhi to Mumbai which is often late. That too is being run in the name of special train. There should be a regular train from Sitamarhi to Mumbai. Also, there should be a special religious train from Janaki ji’s birthplace to Ayodhya.
Emphasis should be given on basic facilities.
Anshu Kumar says, ‘We live near the Nepal border. There is a large working class. They need cheap and normal trains so that they can travel easily. Good trains should run from Sitamarhi to every big city. Along with increasing fares, it is also important to increase facilities.’ Dheeraj Kumar says, ‘There is no train after 4 am to go from Sitamarhi to Patna. If a patient has to be taken, there is a problem. Seats are not even available in trains, and the trains that are available do not have even basic things like toilets, cleanliness, seating facilities.’
Passengers are not getting special facilities.
Meanwhile, Ritesh Raman Singh, citing a video, said, ‘Recently I saw that water was falling like rain in the bogie of Vande Bharat train. Nothing special has been done in the name of facilities. Fares are increasing continuously since 2013, but neither new trains are running nor passengers are getting any special facilities. Actually, the general public demands that border and religiously important districts like Sitamarhi should be given priority.
Regular trains should be started from here to Ayodhya, Delhi and Mumbai. Along with this, people have also demanded that the route of ‘Saptkranti Express’ should be made via Sitamarhi, or at least it should be operated from here three days a week.
