Railway minister disputes Kerala Cong's claim, says Vande Bharat's occupancy at 98%
New Delhi, May 9 (PTI) Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday contradicted a claim made by the Kerala Congress that the occupancy of Vande Bharat trains is 50 per cent, and said it is 98 per cent.
“It's time to prick the bubble of Congress lies. Occupancy of Vande Bharat trains on 7th May is 98 per cent. Occupancy in FY 2024-25 is 103 per cent. Does Congress want Vande Bharat to stop?” Vaishnaw posted on 'X'.
The Kerala Congress on Wednesday said that they analysed railways’ booking data from the website of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to show "low occupancy".
“We've decided to prick the 'Vande Bharat' bubble. Analysis of IRCTC booking data reveals that over 50 per cent of Vande Bharat runs either operate with empty or partially filled seats,” it posted on 'X' with a screenshot of the booking status in various Vande Bharat trains.
According to the Kerala Congress, it sourced the data from the IRCTC website just hours before train departures and it focuses solely on the general category, excluding the Tatkal bookings.
“Despite the holiday season prompting increased travel among families nationwide, bookings for Vande Bharat remain surprisingly low,” it said.
It added, “Moreover, this data highlights a concerning trend regarding economic disparities. Affluent regions demonstrate a higher ability to afford Vande Bharat, while economically disadvantaged areas struggle to access these costly services.” It highlighted certain train routes to claim that while Vande Bharat seats are vacant, other trains have waiting lists.
“In the Mumbai-Solapur (row-4) Vande Bharat, 277 seats are vacant, but almost all other trains are in the Waiting List. This means there is a huge demand for trains, but not this expensive one,” the Kerala Congress said in another post.
It added, “This scenario isn't isolated; similar patterns emerge across various routes. When a Garib Rath offers tickets at Rs 770, the exorbitant Rs 1,720 fare of Vande Bharat becomes prohibitive for ordinary travellers.” Comparing the fare of Vande Bharat and Garib Rath for a family trip between Vishakhapatnam and Hyderabad, it claimed that opting for Vande Bharat would incur Rs 13,760 while Garib Rath would cost Rs 6,160.
“It raises the pertinent question: Is Vande Bharat a viable option for the average commuter?” it said.
It added, “The excessive focus on Vande Bharat is the real issue. Vande Bharats are good when a lot of our population can afford it. For that, economic growth is really important. This Govt has been a disaster on that front and hence you see these expensive trains running empty!” The Indian Railways at present operate 102 services of the Vande Bharat trains across the country. Railway officials say that the popularity of Vande Bharat trains can be gauged from the fact that till March 31 this year, more than two crore 15 lakh people have travelled by it.
“The occupancy of Vande Bharat trains on 7th May 2024 was 98%. The Vande Bharat train services have been well patronised with the average occupancy being 103 per cent in FY 2024-25 till May 7. During the financial year 2022-23 and 2023-24, the overall occupancy of Vande Bharat trains was above 96 per cent,” the Railway officials said seconding Vaishnaw’s post.
They added, “Vande Bharat Express is providing air travel-like experience to people. This is the reason why people prefer to travel by Vande Bharat Express. In a way, Vande Bharat Express has become synonymous with development, modernity, stability and self-reliance.” PTI
