Many passengers notice a gap between the price they expect and the amount actually charged. The reason is that the final ticket value is not a single figure but the fare plus multiple fee items — some fiscal, some service-related, some insurance.
This guide lists the fee items as defined in the ENR system so passengers understand what makes up the amount they pay.
Taxes and state levies
- Stamp duty — several variants exist: stamp order, administrative body stamp, and stamped price.
- State resource development fee.
- Transport development, body development and development price.
Service fees
- Service fee and staff service fee.
- Technology cost — a recent item covering booking systems and gates.
- Card value — for card-based holders.
- Group reservation fee — for group bookings.
Insurance and contributions
- Passenger life insurance — recorded as a commission in the system.
- Charity aid charge.
- Tuberculosis hospital.
- End of service fund and therapy of ENR workers.
The coach surcharge: why prices differ within the same train
One of the most consequential yet least visible items: the additional coach fee, tied to an extra coach added to the train's composition. This explains why you may see two different prices for the same class on the same train — a seat in a standard coach and one in an added coach are not priced alike.
Similarly, some seats carry a price distinction within the same coach, above the standard seat in the same class.
Commissions and third parties
The system also records commissions for payment and sales channels: bank commission, booking system commission, electronic payment providers and sales agents. These are accounting items the passenger does not see itemised, but they are part of the price structure.
Fines recorded as fee items
An organisational note: fines themselves are recorded as fee items distributed across bodies — ENR penalty, conductor penalty, police penalty, staff care penalty, station manager penalty, administrative security penalty and the retirement fund. See our violations and fines guide for detail.
Frequently asked questions
Do all these items apply to every ticket?
No. The items exist in the system; which apply depends on ticket type, class and purchase channel.
Why does the same class cost different amounts on one train?
Usually because of an added coach or price-distinguished seats within a coach.
Is there a fee for online booking?
The system includes a technology cost item and commissions for payment providers.
A note on amounts
This guide lists the fee items without values, as values are updated administratively. The breakdown for a specific ticket appears at purchase or from the station ticket office.
See train types and classes to understand how class affects price.
More passenger guides in our travel guide.