Indian Railways has made traveling with children easier and more profitable.
In the past seven years, they have earned over 2,800 crore rupees through changes in child travel fare rules, as revealed in an RTI response.
Center for Railway Information Systems (CRIS)
The Center for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) falls under the Railway Ministry and provides IT solutions for crucial areas like ticketing, passenger and freight services, and railway traffic control and management.
Revised Fare Rules
On March 31, 2016, the Railway Ministry announced that the railway would charge full fare for children aged between 5 and 12 years if they require a separate berth or seat in a reserved coach.
The revised rules came into effect from April 21, 2016.
The Old Rules
Before this change, Indian Railways used to charge half the fare for children aged 5 to 12 years and provided them with berths.
CRIS Data
CRIS data indicates that over the past seven years, more than 3.6 crore children have traveled without opting for a reserved seat or berth and paying half the fare.
On the other hand, over 10 crore children have chosen to travel with a separate berth or seat and paid the full fare.
Passenger Preference
Chandrsekhar Gaud, an RTI applicant, stated, “The response also reveals that approximately 70 percent of child passengers prefer to pay the full fare and opt for a separate berth or seat when traveling with the railway.”
