Railways issued a directive on Wednesday to reinstate the tariff for AC 3-tier economy class travel, which was eliminated in November 2017 when the service was amalgamated with AC 3-tier.
According to the directive, Railways will continue to provide passengers with linen notwithstanding the price increase.
The present decision revokes a previous circular in which the fare for an AC 3-tier economy class ticket was equalised with the fare for an AC 3-tier ticket. The cost of linen, which was not initially included in the air-conditioned economy class, was cited as the reason for the merger.
According to the directive, travellers who booked tickets online and over the counter would receive a refund for the pre-booking fee. In introducing the 3E as a class in September 2021, the railways declared that rates in these newly-introduced AC 3 coaches will be 6-8 percent less than standard AC 3 coaches, promoting the class as the “best and cheapest AC travel service in the world.”
Prior to the November 2022 order, travellers could book AC 3 economy tickets under the category “3E”, in particular trains that featured these seats. According to officials, there are currently 463 AC 3 Economic coaches compared to 11,277 standard AC 3 coaches. According to officials, AC 3 economy coaches provide more passenger amenities than standard AC 3 coaches.
According to officials, with the combination of AC 3-tier economy, travellers had to pay an additional Rs 60-70. A standard AC 3-tier bus has 72 places, whereas an AC 3-tier economy coach has 80. The AC 3-tier economy class generated Rs 231 crore for the Indian Railways in its first year of operation.
From April to August of 2022, 15 lakh passengers utilised these coaches, generating Rs 177 crore in revenue.
