Patna: From tonight, Railway Platform tickets have been hiked 400 percent from Rs 10 to rs 50, in an effort to discourage crowding at railway stations. The hike will be ‘temporary’, until the corona-virus situation clears.

The East Central Railway Zone headquartered at Hajipur in the state, has hiked price of platform tickets from Rs 10 to Rs 50 a piece at 50 stations in five divisions under its jurisdiction in a bid to avoid crowding in the wake of the coronavirus threat.

The raising of price of platform tickets to Rs 50, which was ordered for 13 stations including Patna junction in the Danapur division on Tuesday, was extended to stations under four other divisions on Wednesday.

In a release, ECR Chief Public Relations Officer Rajesh Kumar said the hiked platform ticket prices will come into effect on different days and end on different days in the divisions.

Giving break-up of stations, he said the hike will be effective in 13 stations under the Danapur division, six in the Deendayal Upadhyay division, 11 in the Danbhad division, eight in the Sonepur division and 12 in the Samastipur division.

Kumar said the hike starting from midnight of March 19 in stations under Danapur division will be in operation till further orders.

Besides the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction, in adjoining Uttar Pradesh, the Gaya, Sasaram, Dehri on Sone, Anugraha Narayan Road (Aurangabad) and Bhabhua stations falling under the Deendayal Upadhyay division will have platform tickets at the hiked price from the time CRIS updates the computer system till April 15.

Thirteen stations, including Dhanbad, Gomo, Sigrauli, Parasnath, Koderma, Daldanganj, Chandrapura, Barkakana, Gadwa Road, Renukut and Chopan, under the Dhanbad division will provide platform tickets at Rs 50 a piece from March 19 midnight till April 30.

In Sonepur division, stations, including Muzaffarpur, Hajipur, Barauni, Khagaria, Sonepur, Begusarai, Mansi and Naughachia, from March 19 midnight till March 31, the release said.

Those under Samastipur, including Saharsa, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Raxual, Sitamarhi, Bapudham, Motihari, Bettiah, Jaynagar, Narkatiaganj, Sagauli and Madhubani, from March 19 midnight till March 31, it added.

In other stations under the five divisions, the platform tickets will be sold at the existing cost of Rs 10 each, Kumar said.

  Bihar, coronavirus, COVID-19, Indian railways