Lok Sabha Question No. 2645 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-04
Subject: Flexi Fare
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Poonam (Mahajan) Vajendla Rao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2645 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.12.2019

## FLEXI FARE

2645.  SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  while  flexi  fare  has  helped  Railways  to generate more income, it also led to reduction in number of passengers because of higher fare;

- (b)  if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether there is any plan to review the scheme of flexi fare; and
- (d)  if so, how far the passengers would get benefited by the initiative?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d) OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  2645  BY  SHRIMATI  POONAM  MAHAJAN TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  04.12.2019  REGARDING  FLEXI FARE

(a) & (b): No, Sir. Number of passengers booked in the trains having flexi fare has registered an increase of 0.95% for the period September 2016 to  August  2018  (Two    full    year    Flexi    Fare    period)  as  compared  to corresponding  period  of  previous  years  (Two  full  year  non  Flexi  Fare period).

Further, overall occupancy of Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains has registered a continuous increase since the inception of Flexi Fare. The details are as follows:

| Financial Year          |   % Age Occupancy of Flexi Fare Trains |
|-------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| 2016-17 (Sept to March) |                                  81.36 |
| 2017-18                 |                                  83.56 |
| 2018-19                 |                                  86.53 |
| 2019-20 (upto October)  |                                  88.97 |

The scheme since its inception has generated an additional earnings of ₹ 2923 crores up to October 2019.

- (c)  &  (d):  Based  on  the  feedback  from  different  quarters,  a  committee was constituted to review the Flexi Fare scheme. Further based on the committee's recommendations and the other representations, the matter has  been  examined  and  flexi  fare  scheme  has  been  rationalised  as under:-
- (i). Discontinuation of Flexi fare scheme from 15 trains fully and from 32 trains  during  pre  defined  lean  period  of  3  months  (February,  March  & August).

(ii). Maximum cap of flexi fare scheme has been reduced to 1.4 times in all flexi fare applicable classes.

(iii).  Graded  discount  has  been  introduced  in  flexi  fare  trains  where class-wise  occupancy  is  less  than  60%,  4  days  prior  to  scheduled departure of the train as under:-

| Occupancy   | Discount         | Discount         | Discount         |
|-------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
| Up to 70%   | 20% on last fare | 20% on last fare | 20% on last fare |
| 70 to 80%   | 10% on last fare | 10% on last fare | 10% on last fare |
| Above 80%   | Nil              | Nil              | Nil              |

The  above  have  been  implemented  for  the  journey  commencing  on  or after 15.03.2019.

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