Indian Railways is usually known for being a budget-friendly mode of transport, but a recent discovery by a Reddit user has left everyone shocked. Recently, when an individual tried to book a premium Tatkal ticket from Bengaluru to Kolkata, they were stunned to see the cost. It was Rs 10,100 for a standard 2nd AC coach.
The individual argued the ticket cost for this route was usually Rs 2,900. The screenshot shared by the user quickly went viral and garnered numerous reactions. Social media users criticised the high price, saying they would rather opt for flights than pay such a high fare for a train journey. A few others called the railways tatkal scheme a fraud practice.
According to the post, the user was looking for a superfast train between SMVT Bengaluru Junction and Howrah Junction for August 9th. Although the website showed 7 seats available, the high cost was the major concern, which was exceeding the usual fare. The individual wrote, “Who’s booking such tickets? Honestly, I don’t understand who’d be willing to pay 10k+ for a 2A ticket in an ordinary superfast train between two well-connected metro cities when a regular 2A ticket is priced at 2.9k.”
Posts from the indianrailwayscommunity on Reddit
Reacting to the post, another person wrote, “Those seats 100% go empty. Also, I don’t understand how there are only 15-20 sleeper seats available even 120 days before train departure time. There is no way the whole train gets filled when the day’s ticket booking starts.”
Another shared, “I recently read a legit article on how railways have increased AC coaches and reduced the sleeper coaches. The Railway Minister at first denied it but when proper proof was sent they did not respond.”
“One might as well travel without a ticket in 2nd ac and pay fine and it would be less than that 10k,” a comment read.
“Are you sure it isn’t a glitch? I travelled from Rajasthan to Tamil Nadu in 2A just a week ago, it cost me 4k,” read another remark.
An individual shared, “That’s premium tatkal for you. Honestly, I feel it is useless. Such high tatkal charges and dynamic charges, don’t make sense. Some people will still buy it, but it’s out of absolute necessity.”
Tatkal tickets are used for last-minute travel plans and booked in urgency. As per Erail, the cost of a Tatkal ticket includes the regular train fare plus additional charges, which can be extra by 10% to 30% of the base fare. For higher classes, the extra charge can be up to 30% of the base fare or Rs 400, whichever is more. However, if an individual decides to cancel a Tatkal ticket, they aren’t eligible for a refund.
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