Reduction In Passenger Fares

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><root available-locales="en_US," default-locale="en_US"><static-content language-id="en_US"><![CDATA[Railways Minister Lalu Prasad today announced reduction in passenger fares of various classes. While introducing the Railway Budget for 2008-09, Lalu said there would be a reduction of one rupee in the second-class fares of up to rupees fifty for non-suburban mail or express and ordinary passenger trains. The second-class fares of all mail or express and ordinary trains will be reduced by five per cent for the tickets costing more than fifty rupees per passenger to benefit long distance passengers, he said. The Railway Minister also announced a reduction in the fares for newly designed Sleeper Class coaches by two per cent. Fare reduction by two per cent for the newly designed AC 3 tier and AC Chair Car coaches has also been announced. This reduction will be only half for popular trains and during the peak period. To make the fares for higher classes more competitive, Lalu Prasad announced reduction of fares for AC-I class by seven per cent and AC-2 tier by four per cent. This reduction would only be half for popular trains and during the peak period. With this reduction, the process of rationalization of AC class fares has now been completed. (ANI)