Booking e-ticket on IRCTC to get costly

New Delhi, Aug 09: Booking e-ticket on Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is set to get costlier as the for Railways ticketing arm is mulling to bring back service charges levied on e-tickets.

According to the reports, the Finance Ministry has written a letter to the Railways department asking it to use its discretion on levying service charge on booking online tickets.

Earlier, service charge for sleeper class was Rs 20 and Rs 40 for AC compartment seats.

In order to boost digital payments, IRCTC had withdrawn service charge on booking online tickets during several intervals, and extending the deadline multiple times. Since November 2016 uptill now, no service charge on booking e-tickets are being levied.

The Railway Board has given its approval to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to restore the mechanism of charging service charge from passengers booking online tickets.

In a letter dated August 3, the Board has said the IRCTC, railways ticketing and tourism arm, had made a "detailed case" for the restoration of service charge on booking of e-ticket and the matter has been examined by the "competent authority".

It further said the Finance Ministry has contended that the scheme of waiving of service charges was a temporary one and that the railway ministry could begin charging e-tickets.

"In view of the advice given by the Ministry of Finance, the competent authority has decided that IRCTC may take a suitable decision on the imposition/restoration of convenience fee/service charges and the quantum to be levied," the letter said. Officials say that after service charges were discontinued, IRCTC saw a 26 per cent drop in Internet ticketing revenue in financial year 2016-17.