Kasaragod: Cashing in on the traveler surge during vacations, Indian Railways is minting money through the premium tatkal. On the busy trains like Maveli and Malabar, the premium tatkal rates for sleeper coaches have shot up by more than half. In the AC coaches, the rates are running at par with the air ticket rates.

Several passengers have been caught unawares while trying to book tatkal tickets through the railway counters. Recently passengers from Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram were in for a rude surprise when they realised that the sleeper rates for the sector was Rs. 1025. The normal fares on this sector is Rs. 325 and Rs.425 for the regular tatkal. 121 of the total 242 tatkal seats in Maveli express has been set aside for flexi pricing too. A clean half of the 204 sleeper berths in Malabar Express has also been set aside for flexi fare pricing.

The Mangaluru- Chennai mail has 80 seats in it set aside for flexi pricing. There are 88 berths under the flexi fare system in the Mangaluru- Thiruvananthapuram Express. According to the railway website, the premium tatkal ends on May 27. In the Sampark Kranti Express the premium seats are being sold till June 5.

The third AC rates are exorbitant. The normal AC III fare for the Mangaluru- Lokmanyatilak Matsyagandha Express for this sector is Rs. 1430. The tatkal rates are Rs. 1835. But passengers who booked the train in the recent past had to shell out up to Rs. 4900 under the flexi fare system.