Refund extra fare to passenger, Rlys told

However, on reaching the New Delhi railway station, he was not given any reserve seat or berth. He had to share the seat with another passenger though he had paid Rs 1,170 against Rs 500, the fare of an ordinary seat.

It was the same story on the return journey with railway officials explaining that they had no intimation about Satija’s reservation. A request to refund the excess amount was also not complied with.

The counsel for the railways contented that the tickets referred to by Satija were not reservation slips but tickets against provisional tickets. Also, his name was on the waiting list and the "sitting seat" was provided as per the rules.

The forum, comprising its president R.P. Bajaj and members H.S. Walia and Kamlesh Gupta, observed that the complainant had not been given the assured booking for the sleeping berth and he had travelled at his own risk. But since he had travelled while sitting, he had been charged for the sleeper.

The forum told the Northern Railways to refund the difference of the fare between the sleeper berth and an ordinary seat along with interest at the rate of 12 per cent from the date of complaint till the payment.