Railway Passenger Bookings Fall Over 4%

An over 4 per cent fall in passenger bookings between April and August this year has left the Indian Railways worried, raising concerns about a possible rise in passenger subsidy. Altogether, 3,427.84 million passengers travelled by trains during April and August as against 3,575.30 million in the year-ago period. This is a difference of 147.46 million passengers, and a fall of 4.12 per cent, according to the country´s largest public transporter. Passenger bookings not only lag behind the previous year, but are also way off the target of 3606.71 million fixed by railways for the five-month period.