The Indian Railways has refused to disclose the methodology of fare fixation of different classes saying it was a “trade secret”.
Responding to a petition filed under the Right to Information Act, 2005, seeking information on the standard methodology or criteria used by the Indian Railways for calculating the base fare for train tickets across categories, the Chief Public Information Officer held that the classification and methodology of fare fixation fell in the domain of trade secret/intellectual property rights and disclosure was not considered appropriate in public interest.
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After the petitioner appealed against the decision before the Central Information Commission, the Director, Rates, and Joint Director, Railway Board, clarified that the Indian Railways is run as a commercial utility and, at the same time, being an instrumentality of State was required to discharge various social obligations in national interest.
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