By Admin 
Indian Railways: Indian Railways, which is called the lifeline of the country, connects millions of people every day. It offers much lower fares than any other transport mode. But have you ever wondered how much the Railways actually spends on going from Delhi to Bihar and how much profit it makes per ticket? Let us know what the answer is.
spend more than earn
According to official figures, Indian Railways spends Rs 1.38 per passenger per kilometre. But Indian Railways charges only Rs 0.71 per kilometer from passengers. This simply means that for every ₹100 spent on passenger travel, Railways gets ₹54. With this, passengers get a subsidy of 46%. Let us tell you that this subsidy is part of the government’s policy to make train travel affordable for all sections of the society.
Delhi Bihar Route
The train running between Delhi and Bihar is one of the most crowded and busy trains in the country. These trains provide services to lakhs of migrant workers, students and passengers. Despite the heavy passenger load, this route operates on the same cost structure as other long distance trains.
For example, even if a sleeper class ticket from Delhi to Patna in Amrit Bharat or Express trains is priced at ₹ 560, this fare does not show any profit. Railways still spends more than it earns. In this, the total cost of everything from fuel to employees’ salaries, station operation, maintenance and cleaning is much more than the fare charged from passengers.
How much does it cost the Railways to run a train?
If we talk about electronic trains, the cost of electricity is around ₹ 130 per kilometer. Whereas for diesel engines it is even higher. For diesel engines this price is ₹ 300 to ₹ 400 per kilometer. If we add to this the expenses of crew salaries, track maintenance, signalling, security measures and other station management expenses, then the cost of train per kilometer increases even more.
Freight operations compensate for passenger losses
Now the question arises that if Indian Railways does not earn from passenger trains then how does it meet its expenses. The answer is freight transportation. In fact, freight transportation of coal, cement, food grains and other goods is a major and primary source of income of the Railways. This is the only sector which helps in making up for the loss in passenger services. In fact, to balance the low fares for passengers, freight charges are deliberately kept very high.
Also read: BCCI renews players’ contracts every year, how many matches is it important to play?