Title - NCR users question fare hike for erratic services - The Economic Times on Mobile

NEW DELHI: Coming on top of the chronically erratic train services, the increase of 2-3 paise per km in local fares has left passengers angry. During the current foggy season, the railway has cancelled around 15 local EMU and passenger trains. Passenger unions say the NCR now has the worst suburban network among all metros.

As a result of the proposed hike, ordinary second class suburban fare for a distance of 35km will go up by Rs 2, from Rs 8 to Rs 10, while in the non-suburban trains it will go up by Rs 5 for an average distance of 135km. Most local trains from Delhi travel 80-200km.

"None of the trains are on time. During every peak season, coaches are reduced. With the Kumbh Mela rush now about to peak, we fear a repeat. Coaches are in bad shape and alternative stations like Tilak Bridge and Shahdara, which were set up to cut down the load on New Delhi and Nizamuddin stations, need an upgrade. What is the point of this hike if it cannot answer our basic needs?'' said Satish Pandey, a member of the Northern Railway Passengers' Association (Delhi chapter).

Railway officials say Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai have significantly improved their suburban train services in the last few years. Mumbai got 60 additional trips on its three main lines while lines on the Harbour route were doubled. Kolkata got 50 new services and Chennai will get nine. Delhi, though, had to be content with just four local trains on the Ghaziabad, Palwal and Panipat routes, including the Matribhumi Express which has toilets in coaches.

Due to poor services, the suburban railway infrastructure in Delhi is underutilized. Only 3.5 lakh passengers use it daily. This is an important reason for the traffic congestion on all roads connecting Delhi with its immediate neighbours. Of the 254 trains run in the region, seven (down from 12 till last year) run on the least popular ring service that has an occupancy of less than 25%.

On the other hand, with just 80-odd trips to Ghaziabad and Aligarh, passengers are forced to travel on footboards during rush hour. Officials say the NCR's overburdened railway corridors leave little scope for more local trains. They say dedicated suburban tracks and new stretches are needed to increase the frequency of local trains. And the new lines must run close to inhabited areas to generate passenger demand.