Lok Sabha Question No. 4485 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-14
Subject: Service Charge on Tickets
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, T. RADHAKRISHNAN, PONGULETI SRINIVASA REDDY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4485 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.12.2016

## SERVICE CHARGE ON TICKETS

4485.   KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH: SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN: SHRI PONGULETI SRINIVASA REDDY:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  service  charges/surcharge  levied  on  booking  of each  railway  ticket  online  through  Indian  Railway  Catering  & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC);
- (b) whether the IRCTC has decided to scrap service charges on a short term basis and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has suggested to IRCTC either to do away or substantially reduce the service charges so as to remove difference  between online transactions and counter payment;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the response of the IRCTC in this regard; and
- (e)  the  further  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to promote cash less transactions in Railways?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

- (a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  4485  BY  KUNWAR  HARIBANSH SINGH, SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN AND SHRI PONGULETI SRINIVASA REDDY TO BE ANSWERED  IN LOK SABHA  ON 14.12.2016 REGARDING SERVICE CHARGE ON TICKETS

(a) to (d): Service charge of ` 20/- per e-ticket issued for Sleeper & Reserved  Second  Class  (2S)  and ` 40/-  per  e-ticket  in  all  other classes is charged.  For i-tickets, the service charge collected is ` 80/- per i-ticket issued for Sleeper & Reserved Second Class (2S) and ` 120/-  per  i-ticket  in  all  other  classes.    Service  tax  as applicable  is  also  charged  over  the  service  charge.    In  order  to help  passengers  and  incentivise  the  payment  through  cashless means  i.e.  credit/debit/cash  cards,  service  charge  is  not  being collected  for  booking  of  online  tickets    on  the  Indian  Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website from 23.11.2016 to 31.12.2016.

(e):  In  order  to  further  promote  cashless  transactions  in  ticket booking in Railways, following initiatives have been undertaken:-

- i. In  case  of  online  ticket  booking  through  IRCTC  website, payment  is  made  through  various  modes  of  electronic banking,  viz.  net  banking,  through  credit/debit  cards,  cash cards and e-wallets.
2. In case of reserved ticket booked across the Computerised Passenger  Reservation  System  (PRS)  counters  also,  the facility of payment through credit/debit cards is available to the  passengers  and  the  service  charge  levied  earlier  has
- ii. been withdrawn.
- iii. Booking of unreserved tickets through mobile phone including journey, season and platform tickets has also been

introduced  on  pilot  basis  on  some  stations  of  Central, Western,  Southern,  Eastern,  South  Central,  South  Eastern and  Northern  Railways  where    payment  is  made  through Railway  Wallet  (R-Wallet)  which  is  linked  to  passenger's mobile number.

- iv. Facility of renewal of season tickets through IRCTC website has  been  provided  for  suburban  train  services  on  Western and  Central  Railways  where  the  payment  is  made  through electronic mode.
2. Automatic  Ticket  Vending  Machines  (ATVMs)  have  been introduced to facilitate sale of unreserved tickets, platform tickets and renewal of season tickets which have provision
- v. of payment through Smart Cards.
- vi. Go-India  Smart  Card  scheme  has been  launched  as  a  pilot project  for  booking  of  reserved  and  unreserved  tickets  at the  counters  (specified  smart  card  counters)  on  the  New Delhi- Mumbai and New Delhi-Howrah sectors.

However, improvements in the systems including payment systems are on-going process.

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