NEW DELHI, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Indian Railways, one of the world's largest train networks, has for the first time introduced "flexi fares" on its three premium train services, a move aimed at reviving the ailing sector.
Officials said Thursday that only the first 10 percent of tickets for its high-speed Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto express services will be sold at current prices, and thereafter fares will jump by 10 percent for every 10 percent of seats sold, subject to maximum of 1.5 times the basic fare.
The state-run Indian Railways, which crisscrosses the country from north to south, operates more than 12,000 passenger trains, carrying over 23 million people every day. However, because of heavy subsidy, the railways has been suffering from huge losses.
The move has, however, been met with huge anger by the country's middle-class and the poor, given their dependence on these three trains, which are faster and much more comfortable than other low-cost trains across the country.
Many Indians have taken to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to vent out their anger at the move and even urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to have a second thought.
