Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks in the world. It continues to be the backbone of India’s transportation system, catering to millions of passengers daily. With over 23 million passengers travelling daily, Indian Railways is nothing short of a lifeline for the nation. During festivals and the wedding season, the number of rail passengers surges even more. There was a time when passengers had to stand in long queues at ticket counters to get a reserved seat. But with India’s rapid digital transformation, online ticket booking has become the preferred choice.
Today, the number of passengers booking tickets online is several times higher than those purchasing from ticket counters. However, one common concern among travellers is that online tickets cost more than counter tickets. If you have ever booked a train ticket online, you must have noticed that it’s more expensive than a counter ticket. This is because online train tickets can only be booked through IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation). Even if you use a third-party app to book a ticket, you still need an IRCTC account. Without it, online booking is not possible.
While booking tickets online, IRCTC charges passengers a convenience fee along with Goods and Services Tax (GST). The convenience fee goes directly to IRCTC, while the GST is collected by the government. These additional charges make online tickets costlier than counter tickets.
Why online tickets costlier than counter tickets?
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut recently raised this issue in the Rajya Sabha, questioning why online tickets cost more than counter tickets. Responding to this, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw explained that IRCTC incurs significant expenses for maintaining, upgrading, and expanding the online ticketing system. To recover these costs, IRCTC levies a convenience fee on online ticket bookings, he added.
80% of passengers prefer online booking
The Railway Minister further highlighted the massive shift towards digital booking. “Today, 80% of all train tickets in India are booked online via IRCTC,” the minister said. He also pointed out that online ticketing saves passengers from waiting in long queues at railway stations, thereby saving time and even reducing travel costs to and from ticket counters.
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