The Indian Railways issued an order on Wednesday to reduce the ticket fare for passengers travelling in AC-3 tier economy class. The ticket fare for a 3-tier economy class had been made equivalent to AC 3-tier ticket in November last year, and the reason at the time was said to be the cost of linen, which was initially not provided in the economy air-conditioned class. This time the Railways will continue to offer linen to passengers even after they restore the price of the ticket.
According to PTI, the order stated that the passengers who have already booked their tickets online and over the counter will be reimbursed the extra amount charged. Commuters who booked the tickets online will receive the refund in their registered bank account and those who booked their ticket over the counter will have to collect the amount from the counter itself.
The Railways introduced the 3E class in September 2021 and announced that the fares for the new coaches would be six to eight per cent less than normal AC-3 tier coaches. The 3E coaches were pitched as the “best and cheapest AC travel service” in the world.
Before the November 2022 order, passengers could book AC-3 economy tickets under a separate category of 3E in specific trains where the Railways offered such seats.
Officials stated that at present, there are 463 AC-3 economy coaches compared to 11,277 normal AC-3 coaches. While an AC tier coach has 72 berths, the AC-3 tier economy consists of 80 berths.
Modern amenities in the AC-3 tier economy coaches:
The official mentioned that AC-3 economy coaches have better facilities for passengers than normal AC-3 coaches. These coaches have improved and modular design of seats and berth with foldable snack tables in both longitudinal and transverse bays. Each berth has its own AC vents, reading lamp and USB charging points. The coaches also have wider toilet doors and entrance doors for specially-abled passengers.
According to the data, the Railways earned Rs 231 crore from the AC-3 tier economy class in the first year of its introduction. In the quarter of April-August, 2022, 15 lakh people travelled in these coaches, generating earnings of Rs 177 crore.
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