Rail ticket booking: MDR charges on e-tickets may go

NEW DELHI: The government is considering withdrawing the merchant discount rate (MDR) charges offered on debit or credit card railway bookings by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) that could slash ticket prices for passengers.

Railway minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday he is currently engaging with banks to see what can be done to relieve passengers from the burden of MDRs.

“IRCTC passes the merchant discount rate to consumers. I am asking them to do away with this and we are in talks with banks for the same,” Goyal said, adding that this will happen in twothree days. Goyal was speaking at the India Economic Summit jointly organised by the WEF and the CII.