Railways withdraw additional fare of some trains

Raiganj: After repeated protest movements by traders in Raiganj, the Railways have withdrawn additional fare in some local passenger trains from Thursday. Now passengers will have to pay Rs 10 instead of Rs 30 as minimum fare for travelling in these local passenger trains.

It is reported that during Covid, the Railway authorities in 2021 declared Radhikapur-Katihar passenger trains and Radhikapur-Siliguri Demu passenger train along with some other trains of the country as special trains and their minimum fare was hiked from Rs 10 to Rs 30. Shankar Kundu, General

Secretary of West Dinajpur Chamber of Commerce, a trade body of both North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur districts, said: “The Covid situation normalised two years ago but the passengers of these local trains

continued paying Rs 30 as minimum fare. Small time traders and daily passengers were being financially affected. We have been organising protest movements, including submitting memorandum to the higher Railway officials, demanding the roll back of additional fare from the passengers since the past two years.

At last the excess fare was removed on Thursday. We are happy with this.”

Raju Kumar, Superintendent of Raiganj Rail Station, confirmed: “The additional fare from Radhikapur-Katihar local passenger trains and in Radhikapur-Siliguri Demu passenger trains has been withdrawn since Thursday.”