On Wednesday (June 24), Varanasi Development Authority Vice-Chairman Purn Bora mentioned that fares for shorter trips between stations will be reduced. For example, passengers traveling to Vidyapeeth station will only need to pay ₹10.
A smart pass system has also been introduced to assist frequent travelers. With this initiative, the fare for journeys between Cantonment and Godowlia will be ₹40, while travel between Vidyapeeth and Rath Yatra stations will cost ₹8, he explained.
Bora also stated that ropeway fares will see an annual increase of 5% starting April 1.
Officials mentioned that the ropeway is expected to decrease travel time between Cantonment and Godowlia to approximately 15-16 minutes, in contrast to the 30-45 minutes required by road, depending on traffic.
Bora noted that a cloakroom service will be available at the Cantonment railway station for outstation travelers. Ticket holders can store their luggage free of charge for the first two hours. After that, a fee of ₹50 per hour will apply for bags weighing up to 15 kg.
For group bookings, the fare for a premium gondola service has been set at ₹2,000 per trip. Groups or institutions making advance reservations will be charged ₹1,200 per gondola per trip, he added.