To encourage more passengers to travel in air-conditioned (AC) coaches or chair cars, the South Western Railway (SWR) has slashed fares in 5 express trains originating from Bengaluru, Gadag, and Mysuru in Karnataka said an official on Saturday. "By reducing AC chair car fare in Shatabdi Express between Mysuru and Chennai via Bengaluru, we got more number of passengers to travel in the superfast train than bus or flight", an SWR spokesperson told IANS.

Impressed by the response to lower fare in Shatabdi, leading to higher occupancy, the zonal railway has lowered AC fare in Bengaluru's Yesvantpur-Hubballi weekly express to Rs 590 from Rs 735. "The response was encouraging when we introduced the lower fare in the weekly express for the first time a week ago (August 4)," said the official.