Airfares dropped by nearly 30% following the introduction of Vande Bharat trains

Indian Railways is now tracking the demand for Vande Bharat trains based on the gender and age of passengers. This data includes information on the count of male, female, and transgender travelers on the four Vande Bharat routes connecting Mumbai to Shirdi, Goa, and Solapur.

The Central Railway, for the first time, compiled data indicating that the age group of 31-45 years had the highest number of passengers traveling on Express trains departing from Mumbai, followed by those aged 15-30 years. During the period from September 15 to October 13, a total of 85,600 male passengers, 57,838 female passengers, and 26 transgender passengers traveled on Vande Bharat Express trains, as reported by Hindustan Times.

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Understanding Passenger Demographics on Vande Bharat Trains

In a bid to promote Vande Bharat trains and attract more passengers, the railways gathered this information. Recent occupancy data for September indicated levels between 77% and 101%. According to Shivraj Manaspure, the Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, children aged 1 to 14 years constituted approximately 5% of passengers on average during this period. While transgender individuals accounted for 4.5% of all Vande Bharat passengers, as reported by HT.

According to industry projections, the launch of Vande Bharat trains has led to a significant 10–20% decrease in air travel. It also corresponds 20–30% reduction in airfares, as noted by Manaspure.

Paresh Rawal, a Public Policy Analyst specializing in Mobility and Transportation, emphasized the importance of this macro data in generating revenue for the Railways. He noted that this data would provide valuable insights about the audience and assist Indian Railways in planning enhancements to services, food options, and other amenities, as reported by HT.

Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Railway Minister, announced that a Express train will be introduced on the Jammu-Srinagar route in Kashmir. “He emphasized that the trains have a unique design to operate efficiently in the region’s challenging conditions. It includes low temperatures and high altitudes.

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