High fares, longer journeys, delays make special trains less attractive to passengers: Officials

New Delhi: Despite the Railway Ministry's claim of operating 18,000 special train trips across the country to clear the festive rush, regular trains continue to be in much greater demand, with waiting lists often exceeding the permissible limit and ticket-booking websites displaying the 'Regret' status.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday during a media interaction that all trains were being monitored closely through a special War Room set up at Rail Bhawan to ensure their safe and timely arrival at destinations.

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However, railway officials admit that passengers don't prefer special trains due to their higher fares, longer journey times and poor punctuality.

The IRCTC website shows that regular trains on almost all routes have either long waiting lists or a 'Regret' status, indicating that the number of passengers on the waiting list has exceeded the permissible limit.

"If you look at the New Delhi-Patna route, Train No. 04096, a festival special, charges Rs 1,745 for an AC 3-tier ticket, whereas the regular Sampoorna Kranti Express charges Rs 1,390," an official said.

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He added that the special train also takes considerably longer to cover the same distance.

While it takes 22 hours and 55 minutes, the Sampoorna Kranti Express completes the journey in 13 hours and 8 minutes.

"Despite the longer scheduled journey time, special trains hardly reach their destinations on time, often resulting in a tiring journey of 25 to 30 hours," he said.

He argued that this was one of the reasons why the Sampoorna Kranti Express has a much higher waiting list than the special train.

Similarly, special train No. 01143 from Mumbai to Danapur (Patna) charges Rs 2,235 for an AC 3-tier ticket and takes 35 hours and 20 minutes to complete the journey.

In comparison, the regular LTT-Rajgir Express covers almost the same distance in 32 hours and 35 minutes, with an AC 3-tier fare of Rs 1,865.

Another official said that while regular trains generally run on schedule, special trains are often delayed by several hours, causing uncertainty and inconvenience to passengers.

They stated that regular trains get overcrowded during the festive season because passengers are willing to travel even with waiting-list tickets, as these trains generally operate according to their scheduled timings.

"Normally, fares on special trains are up to 30 per cent higher than those on regular trains. Moreover, we have to create separate paths for these trains, keeping in mind the capacity constraints on particular routes," a senior railway official said.

"That is why, despite our best efforts, we cannot assure the timely arrival and departure of special trains on high-density routes," he added.

Senior railway officials have suggested that the Railway Ministry should consider keeping fares on special trains lower than those on regular trains, given their longer journey times and uncertain arrival schedules.

"Why would I pay more for a longer and uncertain journey when I can travel on a shorter, more reliable and cheaper train?" an official asked.