Service charge exempted till March 2018 on the tickets booked online

New Delhi, October 4: Railway authority on Wednesday announced that the service charge exemption will be continued until March 2018 on the tickets booked online. Indian Railway Passengers will get a relief with a decision of railway board.

 

To encourage the digital payment mode the government had waived the service charges from the bookings made online during demonetization in November 2016. The Authority had already extended the deadline to June 30 and then September 30 this year.

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has been directed by the Indian Railway Board to extend the benefits until March 2018.

According to IRCTC website, the service charge levied on per person I-tickets (printed) is Rs.80/- for SL, 2S, and Rs.120 for all other Upper classes plus service tax. While on E-tickets, IRCTC levies a service charge of Rs.20/- (Second / Sleeper) and Rs.40/-per e-ticket in case of all other classes (1AC,2AC,3AC, CC,3E, FC) plus service tax irrespective of the number of passengers booked on an e-ticket.

Indian Railways had earned an income of Rs. 551 crore as service charge was the major revenue source. In 2014-15 the revenue was Rs. 256 crore. On an average IRCTC gets Rs. 40 crore as revenue from service charge in a month.