If you travel by train, you must have wondered at the time of booking the ticket whether you should book the ticket online or from the counter. However, booking through both these methods affects the ticket price. Online train tickets are more expensive than tickets bought offline. Why are two different prices paid for the same train ticket? Are any special facilities given to passengers who book online? You can read the answers to many such questions below.

Why are online tickets expensive?

The Railway Minister has answered this question in the Rajya Sabha. He said that convenience fees and transaction charges are taken from passengers who book tickets online through the website of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). This is why the prices of online tickets are slightly more expensive than the tickets bought directly from the railway counter.

According to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, IRCTC spends a lot to provide online ticketing facilities. To reduce the cost of maintaining and upgrading the ticketing infrastructure, IRCTC charges convenience fees. Ashwini Vaishnav said that bank transaction charges are also levied in this.

Saving travel time and transportation costs

IRCTC's online ticket booking facility is one of the most passenger-friendly initiatives of Indian Railways. Currently, more than 80 percent of reservation tickets are booked online. This has relieved passengers from the hassle of going to the reservation counter. This saves their travel time and transportation costs.

You can book tickets online well in advance. You can choose the seat of your choice. You can add food service in advance. For offline ticket booking, you have to stand in long queues at the counter for hours. You face difficulty in selecting a seat. You cannot even pre-book food.