On October 29, Alt News’ co-founder Mohammed Zubair quoted a Congress supporter Gautam Trivedi who had shared a platform ticket of Lucknow Railway Station. Trivedi had paid Rs 100 for 2 hours on the platform. Zubair wrote, “Smile, you are in Lucknow.” The idea behind the Tweet and what Zubair wrote was to point out the increased price of the platform ticket, which was previously Rs 30. However, it was a misleading tweet, and the alleged fact-checker did not care to explain the reality.
Twitter user The Hawk Eye pointed out the ticket price was temporarily increased from Rs 30 to Rs 50 to tackle the Diwali festive rush. Furthermore, the ticket shown in the image was for two persons that neither Zubair nor Trivedi bothered to mention.
Fact – this is temporary. platform ticket charges increased from Rs 30 to Rs 50 and will be applied between 26 Oct and 6 Nov for avoiding congestion at railway stations due to Diwali and Chhath Puja. This ticket in the picture is for 2 persons.
— The Hawk Eye (@thehawkeyex) October 29, 2022
Upon investigation into the matter, OpIndia found that on October 26, it was reported that the Northern Railway increased the price of the platform ticket rate to Rs 50, which was previously Rs 30. On October 25, Divisional Railway Manager Suresh Kumar Sapra informed on social media that the platform ticket price at selected railway stations was increased from Rs 30 to Rs 50. The increased price would be applicable between October 26 to November 5. The decision was taken to ensure the smooth movement of passengers.
उ०रे,लखनऊ मंडल द्वारा दि० 26.10.22 से 06.11.22 तक मंडल के महत्वपूर्ण स्टेशनों पर यात्रियों के सुचारू आवागमन हेतु, प्लेटफार्म टिकट का बिक्री मूल्य रू 50/- प्रतिव्यक्ति करने का निर्णय लिया गया है I उचित व्यवस्था को बनाए रखने के लिए सभी नागरिकों का सहयोग प्रार्थनीय है।@RailMinIndia
— DRM Lucknow NR (@drm_lko) October 25, 2022
When a netizen questioned him about the intention behind the increased price, he categorically mentioned that it was done to discourage non-passengers from visiting the platform and reduce overcrowding. Those with valid tickets do not need to pay for the platform ticket. Only those who visit the railway station to see off the passengers are required to pay for the platform ticket.
रेल प्रशासन का प्रयास है कि त्योहारों के सीजन में, यथासंभव, यात्री ही प्लेटफार्म पर जाएं जिससे प्लेटफार्म पर भीड़ को नियंत्रित कर, रेल यात्रियों के लिए प्लेटफार्म पर जगह बनाई जा सके।
— DRM Lucknow NR (@drm_lko) October 25, 2022
The stations charging additional fees in Northern Railway are Lucknow Junction (Jn), Varanasi Jn, Barabanki Jn, Ayodhya Cantt, Ayodhya, Akbarpur, Shahganj, Jaunpur Jn, Sultanpur Jn, Raebareli, Janghai, Bhadohi, Pratapgarh, and Unnao. The price was hiked from Rs 20 to Rs 30 for a month on October 2. Sapra was quoted by Hindustan Times saying, “Efforts are also being made to provide passenger facilities systematically in the wake of festivals like Bhai Dooj and Chhath.”
Furthermore, Northern Railway is not the only division that increased the price. Western Railway also announced a hike on October 22, where the platform ticket price was increased from Rs 10 to Rs 50. Several divisions of Indian Railways announced the hike on selected Railway Stations depending on the footfall. For example, Southern Railway increased the price from Rs 10 to Rs 20, which will remain applicable till January 1, 2023. Central Railway increased the price from Rs 10 to Rs 50 until October end.
In conclusion, the price hike on selected railway stations was announced only for a limited period to avoid overcrowding. The tweet by Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair was misleading.
