Train Fares to Rise from December 26
Railways hikes long-distance ticket prices; suburban, short trips spared
- Railways announces fare hike effective December 26
- Suburban travel and journeys up to 215 km remain unchanged
- Long-distance, Mail/Express and AC travel to cost more
- Fare revision to add ₹600 crore annually to Railways’ earnings
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 21st Dec: Train journeys in India are set to become costlier as Indian Railways implements a passenger fare hike starting December 26, with higher charges applicable mainly to long-distance travel.
According to the revised structure, fares for suburban train services will remain unchanged. Similarly, general class tickets for journeys up to 215 kilometres will not see any increase. However, for distances beyond 215 km, passengers travelling in general class will have to pay an additional 1 paise per kilometre.
For Mail and Express trains, fares in non-air-conditioned coaches will rise by 2 paise per kilometre. Travel in air-conditioned coaches will also become dearer by 2 paise per kilometre. As a result, a 500-km journey in a non-AC coach will cost around ₹10 more once the new rates come into effect.
The Railways said the fare revision is aimed at partially offsetting rising operational expenses. Over the past decade, the national transporter has significantly expanded its network, services and workforce. Officials said the latest hike is expected to increase annual earnings by about ₹600 crore.
Railways data shows that manpower costs have risen to ₹1.15 lakh crore, while pension expenditure has reached ₹60,000 crore. The total operational cost for the 2024–25 financial year has increased to ₹2.63 lakh crore. To meet these growing expenses, the Railways said it is focusing on boosting freight loading alongside a calibrated increase in passenger fares.
This is the second fare hike in recent years. In July, non-AC Mail and Express fares were raised by 1 paise per km, while AC fares went up by 2 paise per km. Before that, the last major revision was on January 1, 2020, when second-class fares for ordinary and Mail/Express trains were increased by 1 paise per km and 2 paise per km, respectively, and sleeper and AC class fares were raised by up to 4 paise per km.
Railway officials said essential commuter travel has been protected, while the burden of higher costs has been focused on longer-distance journeys.
