The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has discontinued its compensation scheme for passengers on delayed private trains, a decision revealed through a response to a Right to Information (RTI) request. The scheme, introduced in 2019, was designed to encourage passengers to choose private trains like the Tejas Express by offering compensation for delays of over 60 minutes. However, as of February 15, 2024, the scheme has been officially ended, which has raised questions about the future of passenger satisfaction measures for private train services.
The compensation scheme had been a part of IRCTC’s broader strategy to attract more passengers to its premium services, particularly the Tejas Express, which operates on routes such as New Delhi to Lucknow and Ahmedabad to Mumbai. Under the scheme, passengers were offered compensation for significant delays: ₹100 for delays between 60 to 120 minutes and ₹250 for delays of 120 to 240 minutes. If a train was canceled, passengers would receive a full refund of their fare, along with food and water services during delays.
Compensation Details and Impact
According to the RTI response, the scheme saw a total of ₹26 lakh in compensation paid out from 2019 to 2024. In the year 2023-24 alone, ₹15.65 lakh was refunded to passengers due to delays. The scheme’s discontinuation follows a reduction in the number of claims, with only ₹1.78 lakh paid in 2019-20, and a steady increase in later years. Notably, there was no compensation paid in 2020-21, likely due to the pandemic’s impact on train services.
The reasons behind IRCTC’s decision to end the scheme remain unclear, as the corporation has not provided specific details, citing confidentiality. However, sources suggest that the move could be part of an ongoing review of passenger services and cost-saving measures. While the scheme was originally introduced to improve the appeal of private trains, the discontinuation raises concerns about maintaining passenger satisfaction on these premium services in the future.
