Safety fee on the railways!!!!!

rab · Nov 7th, 2001, 20:01

Watch it trying to upgrade from unreserved tickets on IR. I got charged a new safety fee that was apparently introduced from the 1st October.

I know it is boll***s but I couldn't do anything about the 25 R each charge yesterday on the train from Coimbatore to Ernakulam.

I argued the toss and even took down the officials badge numbers but when it comes down to it you can't do anything about it at all and after all it is only about 30 pence but still annoying.

Would be interested to here if anyone else has been chraged a "safety fee"!!!!?

indiamerlin

steven_ber · Nov 7th, 2001, 20:45

We went from Madurai to Viridunagar junction and just bought 2nd class tickets, however the trains had travelled overnight from Chennai and were disgusting.

We let the first train go, but the second was just as bad, so we found a 2A coach, when the ticket collector came we asked to upgrade, we were charged the extra plus Rs50 each as an upgrade fee.

It all seemed correct when we got our new tickets.

Alan D · Nov 7th, 2001, 21:18

I think this is legit.

Archits posted something on this a few months ago. I think it was going to be a % surcharge on the ticket for both Indians and foreigners. You may have bought your ticket earlier but not paid the surcharge.
Either that or there is a bit of private enterprise going on.

Good travelling

Nov 7th, 2001, 23:26

It's true that a safety charge came additional to the ticket price. It's supposed to be used for improvements of railway safety - and this is anyhow necessary - so in this case "do not worry"!

Nov 8th, 2001, 16:44

the charge is legit.
You didn't know it was bollocks. You just didn't know.

Nov 8th, 2001, 17:01

Railways impose safety surcharge on tickets

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 3.10.2001

UCKNOW: Passengers of the Indian Railways started travelling on higher ticket fares from Monday. The hike follows a decision by the railway ministry to impose a safety surcharge on all trains with effect from October 1.

The surcharge would be levied in full, per passenger, irrespective of reserved, unreserved, season ticket, adult, child, concession, warrants orvouchers.

According to senior DCM, (NR) KM Tripathi, the surcharge would also be levied on low value MSTs of Rs 15, except on free MSTs issued to students. Safety surcharge will apply to passengers travelling by trains including Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains and for tickets issued for metro trains.

In case of PRS\seasonal tickets through SPTMs\printed card tickets, the surcharge would be part of the total chargeable fare and will not be shown separately on tickets. In case of coupons for CVMs, this surcharge would be levied at the rate prescribed for the single journey of the concerned class.

The levy of safety surcharge will also apply to tickets issued in advance for journeys. In instances of tickets issued in advance without levy of the surcharge, it would be recovered either by booking offices before commencement of journey by the passenger or by the TTE\conductor during the journey.

Nov 8th, 2001, 22:21

What do you know - just now???
Be happy! Gerlinde

Jul 19th, 2002, 04:39

whats the safety fee for ? extra personnel to protect against bandits ? Extra money for better traffic control to avoid head on collisions ?

chrissawka · Jan 15th, 2003, 06:11

for budget travellingyet triing to be comfortable what is the best class to ride for long rides?

what are berths?<beds>?
sorry but never been to india or ever ridden a train. comments appreciated

rab · Jan 16th, 2003, 04:14

No-one can even start here to explain the intricacies of the Indian Railway systems.

Try to begin with the Indian Railways website. Then scour this site . It is the BEST website on travel in India, better than LP!

You basically have First AC, AC2 and plain AC chair car (I think), then you get 2, 2 chair car and somewhere down there is plain first! Then you get 3 composite / chair and sleeper class two tier then sleeper class three tier .... erm .... erm ... erm .... sorry it is a minefield.

You get (not quite proportionally) what you pay for and remember in any class it depends what train, what time of day, what time of year and whether you look out for your gear.

You can get robbed in sleeper class and robbed in First AC.

If you want to really know the best way to travel overnight I would suggest AC2 but check the price it can be more than you want to spend.

Whatever, travelling by IR is one of the most exhilerating and frustrating experiences you can ever have in life. Good luck!

rab

steven_ber · Jan 16th, 2003, 10:56

To chrissawka

Class of accommodation on Indian trains is a personal thing and depends on many things.

Most tourists use either 2 tier air conditioned (AC2) (also known as 2A) or sleeper class (much cheaper)

I normally travel sleeper class for many reasons,

I smoke (air-conditioned carriages aggravate the damage I have done to my lungs)

I like talking to Indian people (the Indians in sleeper class you can have a drink with, play cards with, and have a good laugh with)

I like to see India (in air-con the windows are tinted (and fixed), in sleeper they are clear, and you can lift them and have no window, there is also a metal shutter you can pull down if the sun is too bright.

I don’t use blankets and pillows (one of the main advantages of air-con travel, the berths are also wider in air-con)

I like to open the train door and sit on the steps and watch India go by (the coach attendants in air con dint let you, probably for your own good)

You will however find more tourists in air-con and almost all Indians there speak good English, you will also find a western toilet in air-con and better wash facilities, and if your worried about security they close the carriage off at night.

I noticed from another post you will be travelling from Mumbai to Goa (Madgaon), the fares would be as follows: -

AC1 (1A) - Rs 2345

AC2 (2A) - Rs 1242

AC3 (3A) - Rs 796

Sleeper - Rs 293

For a detailed description of the differences in class of travel and photos go to the following site.

http://www.seat61.com/India.htm

EDIT NOTE:-

Up to date Mumbai - Goa train information.

Dec 28th, 2003, 13:16

hi,
The Indian railways has a lot of gigantic statistics on its side , covers the distance from earth to moon in 1 day/month/year :-) , i think moves the entire numerical strength of human population on the planet in 1 day/month/year :-)..a wonder that still works.
Goddamn honest it is damn cheap , compare london to machester..on a busy day shelling upto 60 pounds ... take the purchasing power parity into factor , still it is way too cheap.
Stop Complaining !:-)!
as far as cleanliness goes parisian metro could easily rival it

steven_ber · Dec 29th, 2003, 13:11

trvl_in

I cant find any train with First Class non AC (FC) between Calcutta and Bombay.

bijapuri · Dec 29th, 2003, 13:22

sigh, more of "the real India" passing into bolivion . . .

Nov 7th, 2001, 20:01	#1
rab Honorary Mod Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: McLaren Vale, South Australia Posts: 1,216	Safety fee on the railways!!!!! Watch it trying to upgrade from unreserved tickets on IR. I got charged a new safety fee that was apparently introduced from the 1st October. I know it is boll***s but I couldn't do anything about the 25 R each charge yesterday on the train from Coimbatore to Ernakulam. I argued the toss and even took down the officials badge numbers but when it comes down to it you can't do anything about it at all and after all it is only about 30 pence but still annoying. Would be interested to here if anyone else has been chraged a "safety fee"!!!!? indiamerlin

Nov 7th, 2001, 20:45	#2
steven_ber Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: London, England. Posts: 9,180	'upgrade fee' We went from Madurai to Viridunagar junction and just bought 2nd class tickets, however the trains had travelled overnight from Chennai and were disgusting. We let the first train go, but the second was just as bad, so we found a 2A coach, when the ticket collector came we asked to upgrade, we were charged the extra plus Rs50 each as an upgrade fee. It all seemed correct when we got our new tickets. Last edited by steven_ber : Dec 28th, 2003 at 13:28.

Nov 7th, 2001, 21:18	#3
Alan D Maha Guru Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Southampton UK Posts: 1,866	Safety fee I think this is legit. Archits posted something on this a few months ago. I think it was going to be a % surcharge on the ticket for both Indians and foreigners. You may have bought your ticket earlier but not paid the surcharge. Either that or there is a bit of private enterprise going on. Good travelling

Nov 7th, 2001, 23:26	#4
Gerlinde Posts: n/a	Safety Charge It's true that a safety charge came additional to the ticket price. It's supposed to be used for improvements of railway safety - and this is anyhow necessary - so in this case "do not worry"!

Nov 8th, 2001, 22:21	#7
Gerlinde Posts: n/a	tral-la-la - or what so ever?? What do you know - just now??? Be happy! Gerlinde

Nov 8th, 2001, 16:44	#5
tra-la-la Posts: n/a	the charge is legit. You didn't know it was bollocks. You just didn't know.

Nov 8th, 2001, 17:01	#6
Gerlinde Posts: n/a	Railways impose safety surcharge on tickets TIMES NEWS NETWORK 3.10.2001 UCKNOW: Passengers of the Indian Railways started travelling on higher ticket fares from Monday. The hike follows a decision by the railway ministry to impose a safety surcharge on all trains with effect from October 1. The surcharge would be levied in full, per passenger, irrespective of reserved, unreserved, season ticket, adult, child, concession, warrants orvouchers. According to senior DCM, (NR) KM Tripathi, the surcharge would also be levied on low value MSTs of Rs 15, except on free MSTs issued to students. Safety surcharge will apply to passengers travelling by trains including Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains and for tickets issued for metro trains. In case of PRS\seasonal tickets through SPTMs\printed card tickets, the surcharge would be part of the total chargeable fare and will not be shown separately on tickets. In case of coupons for CVMs, this surcharge would be levied at the rate prescribed for the single journey of the concerned class. The levy of safety surcharge will also apply to tickets issued in advance for journeys. In instances of tickets issued in advance without levy of the surcharge, it would be recovered either by booking offices before commencement of journey by the passenger or by the TTE\conductor during the journey.

Jul 19th, 2002, 04:39	#8
martes Posts: n/a	whats the safety fee for ? extra personnel to protect against bandits ? Extra money for better traffic control to avoid head on collisions ?

Jan 15th, 2003, 06:11	#9
chrissawka i enjoy country living and relaxed pace in life. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: freezing cold canada Posts: 100	for budget travellingyet triing to be comfortable what is the best class to ride for long rides? what are berths?<beds>? sorry but never been to india or ever ridden a train. comments appreciated __________________ enjoyed 6 weeks in southern india and saving up to go back.. i never hated.....yet loved<more>a country soo much words cannot truely describe the satisfaction it gives u

Jan 16th, 2003, 04:14	#10
rab Honorary Mod Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: McLaren Vale, South Australia Posts: 1,216	Train classes / berths etc No-one can even start here to explain the intricacies of the Indian Railway systems. Try to begin with the Indian Railways website. Then scour this site . It is the BEST website on travel in India, better than LP! You basically have First AC, AC2 and plain AC chair car (I think), then you get 2, 2 chair car and somewhere down there is plain first! Then you get 3 composite / chair and sleeper class two tier then sleeper class three tier .... erm .... erm ... erm .... sorry it is a minefield. You get (not quite proportionally) what you pay for and remember in any class it depends what train, what time of day, what time of year and whether you look out for your gear. You can get robbed in sleeper class and robbed in First AC. If you want to really know the best way to travel overnight I would suggest AC2 but check the price it can be more than you want to spend. Whatever, travelling by IR is one of the most exhilerating and frustrating experiences you can ever have in life. Good luck! rab

Jan 16th, 2003, 10:56	#11
steven_ber Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: London, England. Posts: 9,180	To chrissawka Class of accommodation on Indian trains is a personal thing and depends on many things. Most tourists use either 2 tier air conditioned (AC2) (also known as 2A) or sleeper class (much cheaper) I normally travel sleeper class for many reasons, I smoke (air-conditioned carriages aggravate the damage I have done to my lungs) I like talking to Indian people (the Indians in sleeper class you can have a drink with, play cards with, and have a good laugh with) I like to see India (in air-con the windows are tinted (and fixed), in sleeper they are clear, and you can lift them and have no window, there is also a metal shutter you can pull down if the sun is too bright. I don’t use blankets and pillows (one of the main advantages of air-con travel, the berths are also wider in air-con) I like to open the train door and sit on the steps and watch India go by (the coach attendants in air con dint let you, probably for your own good) You will however find more tourists in air-con and almost all Indians there speak good English, you will also find a western toilet in air-con and better wash facilities, and if your worried about security they close the carriage off at night. I noticed from another post you will be travelling from Mumbai to Goa (Madgaon), the fares would be as follows: - AC1 (1A) - Rs 2345 AC2 (2A) - Rs 1242 AC3 (3A) - Rs 796 Sleeper - Rs 293 For a detailed description of the differences in class of travel and photos go to the following site. http://www.seat61.com/India.htm EDIT NOTE:- Up to date Mumbai - Goa train information. __________________ . How to get helpful replies to your transport/Itinerary questions. Train information. Last edited by steven_ber : Dec 28th, 2003 at 13:27.

Dec 28th, 2003, 13:16	#12
sharp_in1008 Posts: n/a	hi, The Indian railways has a lot of gigantic statistics on its side , covers the distance from earth to moon in 1 day/month/year :-) , i think moves the entire numerical strength of human population on the planet in 1 day/month/year :-)..a wonder that still works. Goddamn honest it is damn cheap , compare london to machester..on a busy day shelling upto 60 pounds ... take the purchasing power parity into factor , still it is way too cheap. Stop Complaining !:-)! as far as cleanliness goes parisian metro could easily rival it

Dec 29th, 2003, 13:11	#13
steven_ber Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: London, England. Posts: 9,180	trvl_in I cant find any train with First Class non AC (FC) between Calcutta and Bombay.

Dec 29th, 2003, 13:22	#14
bijapuri laid traps for troubadours Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Priustan Posts: 2,598	sigh, more of "the real India" passing into bolivion . . . __________________ Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. Barack Obama lookit me!!!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bijapuri/ Utube fuzzy logic: http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bijapuri&p =r

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