The proposal is being considered against the backdrop of a decline in both passengers and freight earnings. (Representative Image)
NEW DELHI: Facing resource crunch, railways is said to be mulling the possibility of effecting a 5 to 10 per cent increase in the passenger fares in the coming Budget.
The proposal is being considered against the backdrop of a decline in both passengers and freight earnings and the additional burden of Rs 32,000 crores towards implementing the 7th pay commission recommendations, railway ministry sources said.
On top of this, the gross budgetary support for 2015-16 has also been slashed by Rs 8,000 crores by the finance ministry due to low spending by the railways.
The sources said several possibilities, including a fare hike, are being looked into but nothing has been finalized yet.
The sources said a decision has to be taken whether to hike the fares and from when to implement the hiked fares. But it is not necessary it has to be done only in the budget, they said.
There is a feeling in Rail Bhawan that a fare hike in the Budget to be presented on February 25 can be more beneficial as the railways can utilize the peak season beginning in March.
Currently AC fares are already on the higher side. If AC fares are raised, then they could even surpass the fares of low-cost air carriers in some sectors.
Similarly, freight rates are also at a high level and loading of steel, cement, coal, iron ore and fertilizer is on a down slide that rules out any further increase in this area.
Railways had effected a 14 per cent across-the-board hike in passenger fares in 2014 during the NDA regime and a 10 per cent increased.
Railways' total earnings from freight and passenger fares were Rs 1,36,079.26 crores until January this year as against the target of Rs 141,416.05 crores, a shortfall of 3.77 per cent.
Acknowledging the decline in earnings, sources said various options were being explored to perk up revenue collection.
While one option is to raise the fares in selected routes, the other is to go for increasing the cost of services provided.
Meanwhile, the railways have undertaken steps for cutting the costs and for commercial exploitation of surplus railway land besides looking at higher revenues from advertisement in a bid to tide over the crisis. The focus may be on improving non-tariff collection, the sources said.
Railways have conducted a study by Axis Capital which has recommended a 10 per cent hike in passenger fares and a 5 per cent raise in freight rates to improve the state-run transporter's finances.
The proposal is being considered against the backdrop of a decline in both passengers and freight earnings and the additional burden of Rs 32,000 crores towards implementing the 7th pay commission recommendations, railway ministry sources said.
On top of this, the gross budgetary support for 2015-16 has also been slashed by Rs 8,000 crores by the finance ministry due to low spending by the railways.
The sources said several possibilities, including a fare hike, are being looked into but nothing has been finalized yet.
The sources said a decision has to be taken whether to hike the fares and from when to implement the hiked fares. But it is not necessary it has to be done only in the budget, they said.
There is a feeling in Rail Bhawan that a fare hike in the Budget to be presented on February 25 can be more beneficial as the railways can utilize the peak season beginning in March.
Currently AC fares are already on the higher side. If AC fares are raised, then they could even surpass the fares of low-cost air carriers in some sectors.
Similarly, freight rates are also at a high level and loading of steel, cement, coal, iron ore and fertilizer is on a down slide that rules out any further increase in this area.
Railways had effected a 14 per cent across-the-board hike in passenger fares in 2014 during the NDA regime and a 10 per cent increased.
Railways' total earnings from freight and passenger fares were Rs 1,36,079.26 crores until January this year as against the target of Rs 141,416.05 crores, a shortfall of 3.77 per cent.
Acknowledging the decline in earnings, sources said various options were being explored to perk up revenue collection.
While one option is to raise the fares in selected routes, the other is to go for increasing the cost of services provided.
Meanwhile, the railways have undertaken steps for cutting the costs and for commercial exploitation of surplus railway land besides looking at higher revenues from advertisement in a bid to tide over the crisis. The focus may be on improving non-tariff collection, the sources said.
Railways have conducted a study by Axis Capital which has recommended a 10 per cent hike in passenger fares and a 5 per cent raise in freight rates to improve the state-run transporter's finances.
