Railways Revenue Conundrum: The Unseen Earnings From Ticket Cancellations

The Railway Minister revealed that revenue from cancelled or non-refunded confirmed and Tatkal tickets is not tracked separately. Despite earnings from cancellations being untallied, a major focus remains on providing affordable services, evidenced by significant subsidies and special concessions to senior citizens and specific passenger categories.

The Indian Railways' practice of not separately maintaining revenue records from ticket cancellations was disclosed by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a Lok Sabha reply. The system lumps together revenues from both confirmed and Tatkal tickets with no separate tracking mechanism in place.

Minister Vaishnaw emphasized that Indian Railways' cost-effective services extend across the societal spectrum. In fiscal year 2023-24, the Railways provided ticket subsidies of Rs 60,466 crore, equating to a 45% fare reduction on average per traveler.

Special provisions for seniors were highlighted, with specific berth allocations for men over 60 and women over 45, alongside a quota in various travel classes for senior travelers and pregnant women, ensuring enhanced accessibility and convenience.

(With inputs from agencies.)