Train fares to increase by 15% from October

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The government has decided to increase the train seat reservation fee by 20% with effect from November. A senior officer of the Railways Department said the seat reservation fee has been increased in line with the increment of train fares. Railway station masters are permitted to enter new prices to replace the old prices of tickets that have been printed already from the 1st of October until the process of printing tickets with new prices have been completed. He said that the numbers of the tickets that are being issued at the old prices will be finalized by the 30th of this month and that those tickets will be used for audit purposes. The officer also noted that the train fares will be raised by 15% after 8 years from the 1st of October. He pointed out that there will be some changes in the rates depending on the distance between the railway stations.