CHENNAI: CPM’s Madurai MP Su Venkatesan on Friday criticised the latest railway fare hike announced by the Union government, calling it unjustifiable and harmful to ordinary passengers. This is the second fare hike this year, he noted.

In a statement, he said the government’s claim that fares had not been increased since 2014 was misleading, as indirect fare hikes were already implemented through special train charges, tatkal and premium tatkal fees, and higher cancellation charges, pushing fares close to airline levels. Fares for services such as Vande Bharat trains had also been steeply raised, he added.

Due to these fare policies, Venkatesan said more than 132 crore passengers avoided train travel in 2023-24 compared with 2014-15. Passenger numbers fell from 822 crore in 2014-15 to 690 crore in 2023-24, which he attributed to rising fares. The government had also withdrawn fare concessions for senior citizens, resulting in six crore senior passengers opting out of train travel. “The Modi government has pushed people from safer railways to accident-prone and polluted road travel,” he said.

Venkatesan pointed out that ordinary second-class services had been reduced significantly, from 4,702 coaches in 2014-15 to 3,313 in 2023-24, a cut of 1,389 coaches, leaving common passengers with fewer affordable options.

Despite this decline in passenger numbers, railway revenue increased from Rs 42,189 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 70,693 crore in 2023-24. “The message is clear. Fewer passengers are being forced to pay much higher fares,” he said.

Demanding that the fare hike be withdrawn, he said increasing the burden on citizens already driven away from rail travel could not be justified.