According to the Congress party, the cost of a railway platform ticket was ₹ 3 in 2014 before rising to ₹50 per platform ticket after 2014.
The official account of Indian Youth Congress (“@IYC“) compared the two pictures of railway platform ticket prices in 2014 and after 2014. The tweet was made on April 7, 2024 and has received an about more than 5k views on X.
न्याय काल अन्याय काल pic.twitter.com/R6rW6jpYRN
— Indian Youth Congress (@IYC) April 7, 2024
Several other accounts, including @INCIndia also shared the same picture and claimed the same in a twitter post made on April 7, 2024. The archive can be read from above.
What is the Actual Truth About this Incident? : Fact
These assertions are untrue. In order to prevent crowding at train stations during the COVID-19 pandemic, prices were raised from ₹10 to ₹30 & ₹50 on March 17, 2020, as seen in the shared image of the ticket. Subsequently, the Indian Railways restored the pre-COVID-19 rates for platform tickets later. The cost of a platform ticket is currently ₹10. In an effort to reduce crowding during the holiday season, Western Railways has raised the price of platform tickets in the Mumbai division from ₹10 to ₹50 between October 22, 2022, and October 31, 2022. We visited scroll.in, which published an article on this on March 18, 2020 with the headline “Coronavirus: Railways increases platform ticket price to Rs 50 at major stations, cancels 85 trains”. The platform tickets were made costlier by five times at major stations in a bid to prevent unnecessary crowding. With the coronavirus pandemic growing, most Indian Railways zones raised platform ticket prices, going from Rs 10 to Rs 50 at major stations, in an attempt to deter big crowd gatherings. Due to poor occupancy, the Railways also had to cancel at least 85 trains on important lines. Economic Times posted regarding this on October 22, 2022 with the heading “Western Railway increases platform ticket rates to Rs 50 till Oct 31 to prevent festive season rush”. Platform ticket prices on important Mumbai division stations were raised by the Western Railway on Saturday from Rs 10 to Rs 50 until October 31. The action has been done to reduce crowding over the holiday season. The platform ticket rate has been increased at Mumbai Central, Dadar, Borivali, Bandra Terminus, Vapi, Valsad, Udhna and Surat stations in the Mumbai division, reported PTI citing an official release. Further, The Indian Express published an article on November 26, 2021 with the heading “Platform ticket price reduced from Rs 30 to Rs 10”. It added “The prices were earlier increased to Rs 30 with an aim of decongesting railway stations to contain the transmission of the virus.” Also, Business Today published an article on Nov 26, 2021 with the heading “Platform ticket price reduced to pre-COVID era rate at these stations”. It clearly says “The Indian Railways has decided to reduce the prices of platform tickets back to pre-COVID-19 era rates. The tickets will now be available for Rs 10. Earlier, Indian Railways had increased the price of platform tickets from Rs 10 to Rs 30 at stations to discourage overcrowding amid the COVID-19 pandemic.”
D-Intent’s Fact-Checking Results:
1822
— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) April 7, 2024
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: The Congress party has claimed that the railway platform ticket price was ₹ 3 before 2014 and increased to ₹50 per platform ticket after 2014. These claims are not true. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/D1CsSzNkxm
Intent:
Congress party circulating misleading claims about platform ticket prices to set their political narrative to influence the upcoming general elections. The Congress party has claimed that the railway platform ticket price was ₹ 3 before 2014 and increased to ₹50 per platform ticket after 2014. These statements are untrue. The posted image of the ticket is dated March 17, 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, rates were raised from ₹10 to ₹30 & ₹50 in order to prevent crowding at railway stations. The Indian Railways then restored platform ticket prices to rates seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the moment, a platform ticket costs ₹10. Western Railways has raised the price of platform tickets in the Mumbai division from ₹10 to ₹50 between October 22, 2022, and October 31, 2022, in an effort to reduce crowding during the holiday season.
Conclusion:
Claim : The Congress party asserts that the cost of a railway platform ticket was ₹ 3 prior to 2014 and thereafter escalated to ₹50 per platform ticket.
Fact : These claims are not true. The shared image of the ticket is from March 17, 2020, when prices were increased from ₹10 to ₹30 & ₹ 50 to avoid over-crowding at railway stations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, The Indian Railways reduced platform ticket prices to pre-COVID-19 era rates. Currently, the platform ticket price is ₹10. Also, Western Railways had increased platform tickets in the Mumbai division from ₹10 to ₹50, from 22 October 2022 to 31 October 2022, to curtail overcrowding during the festive season.
Also Read : These Two Dead Bodies Of Teenagers Are Not From Gaza But Syria, Here Is The Truth: Fact-Check
