Indian Railways Reduces Fare of AC 3-Tier Economy Class Tickets.
Indian Railways restored the fare for AC 3-tier economy class travel, which had been withdrawn in November 2022 when it was merged with AC 3-tier. The restoration of the previous fare is likely to provide relief to the passengers who prefer to travel in AC 3-tier economy class. The railways issued an order on Wednesday to restore the fare for AC 3-tier economy class travel, which had been withdrawn in November 2022.
The decision to withdraw the fare for AC 3-tier economy class tickets was taken last year as it was merged with AC 3-tier. However, the latest order has withdrawn the previous circular, which made the fare of AC 3-tier economy class tickets equal to that of an AC 3-tier ticket. The primary reason behind the merger was to cover the cost of linen, which was initially not provided in the air-conditioned economy class.
Notwithstanding the price restoration, the railways will still provide linen to its passengers. As per the directive, travelers who have made reservations both online and over the counter will receive a reimbursement for the additional cost of their pre-booked tickets. Prior to the November 2022 order, passengers could reserve AC 3 economy tickets under a distinct category of "3E" for specific trains where the railways had made such seats available.
The railways introduced the 3E class in September 2021 and announced that fares in these newly-introduced coaches would be 6-8 percent less than normal AC 3 coaches, pitching the class of travel as the "best and cheapest AC travel service" in the world. The AC 3 economy coaches have better passenger facilities than normal AC 3 coaches.
According to officials, there are 463 AC 3 Economy coaches compared to 11,277 regular AC 3 coaches. An AC 3 economy coach comprises 80 berths, while a regular AC 3-tier coach has 72. In the first year of its launch, the AC 3-tier economy class generated revenue of ₹231 crores for the railways. According to data from April to August 2022, 15 lakh people traveled in these coaches, generating earnings of ₹177 crores.
