Indian Railways’ first AC-3 tier ‘economy’ coach, with 8 per cent lower fare and 15 per cent more berths compared to a regular AC-3 tier coach, will be connected to the Prayagraj Jaipur Express train and will begin its journey from Prayagraj Allahabad station on September 6.
“The Indian Railways latest initiative of introducing AC-3 tier economy coaches is aimed at making a passenger’s journey cheaper and more comfortable,” according to an official.
The idea is to eventually introduce such coaches in all express trains, he added.
Lower fare
A passenger will have to shell out ₹1,085 to travel from Prayagraj to Jaipur in the AC economy coach as opposed to ₹1,175 in the regular AC-3 tier coach. The coaches have been specially designed to accommodate 83 seats instead of 72.
“Apart from the higher passenger capacity, the coach has been equipped with latest fitments and has a state of the art appearance. Needs of physically challenged commuters have also been taken care of,” the official said.
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While passengers seem to be appreciative of the initiative taken by Northern Railways on social media, some have pointed out that the fare difference between a regular coach and an economy coach is very low.
“A difference of just ₹ 90? Is this a joke?” a person said, reacting to a tweet on the economy coach put up by the Indian Railways on its official twitter handle.