New Delhi, Nov 9 (PTI) The New Delhi-Patna Vande Bharat Chair Car, one of the special trains deployed by the Railway Ministry to clear the festive rush, has a higher fare and longer journey time than the Tejas Rajdhani Express operating on the same route, officials said.
They argued that although the Vande Bharat Chair Car is not a sleeper-class AC train like the Rajdhani, it is a modern train equipped with better passenger amenities, which justify its higher fare.
According to the IRCTC website, the fare for the Chair Car category of the Vande Bharat Special (Train No. 2252) from New Delhi to Patna is Rs 2,615, while the fare for the AC 3-tier class of the Tejas Rajdhani is Rs 2,545 during the festive season.
While the Vande Bharat takes 12 hours and 55 minutes to cover the approximately 1,000-km journey between New Delhi and Patna, the Tejas Rajdhani, the fastest train on the route, takes 11 hours and 28 minutes, according to the website.
Several passengers who travelled on the train said that a seated journey of 1,000 km was highly uncomfortable. However, with the festive rush leaving all sleeper classes, including both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned categories, on regular and special trains fully booked for another week until Chhath, they had little choice but to travel on the Vande Bharat.
Some passengers also urged the Railways, as a national transporter, not to prioritise profits during a crisis and alleged that it is charging higher fares when people have little choice but to travel during the festive season.
“Tejas Rajdhani is not only the fastest but also the most convenient and comfortable train on this route. Travelling long distances in a seated position can never be more comfortable than travelling in a sleeper-class coach,” a passenger said, adding that even other trains such as Sampoorna Kranti are faster and cheaper than Vande Bharat.
Officials admitted that the Vande Bharat Chair Car is meant primarily for intercity routes, particularly medium-distance corridors of up to 700 km. However, it has been deployed on the New Delhi-Patna route to cater to the increased demand during the festive season.
Highlighting its key features, the Railway Ministry said that the Vande Bharat’s semi-permanent jerk-free couplers and improved suspension systems contribute to better ride comfort, while its regenerative braking system enhances energy efficiency during operations.
Centrally controlled automatic plug doors, fully sealed wider gangways, modern air-conditioning systems, indigenously developed UV-C lamp-based disinfection systems, CCTV cameras, emergency alarm push buttons and passenger-crew talk-back units in all coaches are among the features that represent a new phase in India’s premium passenger rail services, it added.
“Earlier, the Vande Bharat Chair Car was first deployed between New Delhi and Patna during the Bihar Assembly elections. However, the service was discontinued soon after the elections,” a railway official said.
He added, “It has now been reintroduced keeping in mind the growing travel demand. Once the need subsides, the service will be discontinued again.”
The New Delhi-Patna route is among the busiest railway corridors in the country, with heavy passenger traffic throughout the year. Demand increases manifold during festivals, prompting the Railways to introduce special trains.
Passengers have demanded the introduction of more regular trains to cater to the high passenger traffic throughout the year.
Besides the Vande Bharat Chair Car, which operates six days a week, the Railway Ministry has introduced more than 10 special trains, including three that operate all seven days of the week.
“Besides these scheduled special train services, several unreserved trains are being deployed daily from Delhi to various destinations, depending on passenger demand and the sale of unreserved tickets,” a senior railway official said. PTI JP JP NB
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