Indian Railways announces fare hike from December 26 in structure overhaul; check revised list
PTC News Desk: Train travel is set to become more expensive from December 26, as the Railways rolls out a fare hike for longer journeys, while suburban train fares will remain unchanged.
Under the revised structure, fares for general class travel up to 215 kilometres will stay the same. However, for distances beyond 215 km, passengers will pay an additional 1 paise per kilometre. In mail and express trains, fares in non-air-conditioned coaches will rise by 2 paise per km, while air-conditioned classes will also see an increase of 2 paise per km.
As a result, a non-AC journey of 500 km will cost about ₹10 more once the new rates take effect.
The Railways said the decision reflects the sharp expansion of its network and operations over the past decade, along with rising manpower requirements. The latest fare revision is expected to boost annual earnings by around ₹600 crore. According to officials, manpower expenses have climbed to ₹1.15 lakh crore, while pension costs stand at ₹60,000 crore. Overall operational expenditure has reached ₹2.63 lakh crore in the 2024–25 financial year.
To offset these rising costs, the Railways said it is focusing on increasing freight loading and revising passenger fares.
This is the second fare hike this year. In July, fares for non-AC classes in mail and express trains were raised by 1 paise per km, while AC class fares were increased by 2 paise per km.
Before that, the last major revision came on January 1, 2020, when second-class fares for ordinary and mail/express trains rose by 1 paise per km and 2 paise per km, respectively. Sleeper class fares and all AC class fares were increased by 2 paise per km and 4 paise per km, respectively.
- With inputs from agencies
