By NNN-PTI
New Delhi : Unfazed by the low fares offered by budget airlines, Indian Railways is not contemplating any move to rationalise passanger tariffs.
“There is enough space for everyone to grow. We are not competing with airlines. We continue to have long waiting list and the passenger traffic is ever increasing, Ramesh Chandra, Chairman Railway Board told PTI.
Railways ferries about 15 million passengers every day in 8,622 passenger trains whereas airlines numbers are not the same, said Chandra.
“So we are not rivals anyway.” At the same time, railways is not complacent about it and our endeavour is to improve the service all the time. Many steps are undertaken to provide better facilities to passengers in trains and stations, Chandra said.
Railways earns about 20 percent of its total passenger revenue from the upper class segment – 1st class AC, 2nd class AC and AC chair car. With the budget airlines offering tickets equal or even lower than AC train fares in certain sectors, the challenge is clear.
Acceleration of speed, enhancement of pantry services, increased frequencies, extension of routes, frequent traveller scheme, passenger profiling system and e-ticketing are some of the measures undertaken by railways to maintain an edge in traffic.
“Besides improving amenities, we are paying considerable attention to the safety and security of passengers. We have provided adequate number of security equipment to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) as an enhanced security measures,” said Chandra.
The RPF is now equipped with 1,233 hand held metal detectors, 142 door frame metal detectors and 79 dog squads at important railway stations.