GUWAHATI: The decision of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) to resume passenger train service on a regular basis for the first time since last year’s lockdown may ease inter and intra-state passenger movement but will certainly pinch the pockets of travellers because of a near three-fold hike in passenger fare.
To start plying the five pairs of passenger trains again, the NFR has published special restoration notices recently. However, the train status showing ‘unreserved mail/express ticketing’ has surprised local passengers, who were expecting some relief from the ‘exorbitant fare’ that they have been paying for months in private commercial passenger vehicles for their journey in the absence of passenger trains. After the lockdown was withdrawn last year, only one pair of passenger trains between New Bongaigaon-Guwahati was operating on a pilot basis in the NFR zone.