The Railway Ministry on Thursday officially notified a marginal hike in passenger train fares, with the revised ticket prices set to come into effect from December 26.
Under the new fare structure, fares for ordinary class journeys beyond 215 km will increase by 1 paise per kilometre, while non-AC classes of mail and express trains, as well as all AC classes, will see a hike of 2 paise per kilometre.
The decision to revise fares was announced on December 21, marking the second fare increase in passenger services this year after the last revision in July.
Justifying the move, the ministry said the rationalisation of fares was aimed at balancing affordability for passengers with the sustainability of railway operations.
The ministry clarified that there would be no change in fares for suburban services and season tickets, including both suburban and non-suburban routes. For ordinary non-AC, non-suburban services, fares have been revised in a graded manner across second class ordinary, sleeper class ordinary and first class ordinary categories.
In second class ordinary, there will be no increase in fares for journeys up to 215 km to ensure that short-distance and daily commuters remain unaffected. For distances between 216 km and 750 km, fares will rise by Rs 5. For longer journeys, the increase will be Rs 10 for distances between 751 km and 1,250 km, Rs 15 for journeys between 1,251 km and 1,750 km, and Rs 20 for distances between 1,751 km and 2,250 km.
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Fares for sleeper class ordinary and first class ordinary services have been revised uniformly at the rate of 1 paise per kilometre for non-suburban journeys, ensuring a gradual and limited increase.
In mail and express trains, fares across non-AC and AC classes, including sleeper class, first class, AC chair car, AC three-tier, AC two-tier and AC first class, have been revised at the rate of 2 paise per kilometre. As an illustration, the ministry said passengers travelling 500 km in non-AC mail or express coaches would pay around Rs 10 extra.
According to the notification, the basic fares of major train services such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Vande Bharat, Tejas, Humsafar, Amrit Bharat, Gatimaan, Antyodaya, Garib Rath, Jan Shatabdi, Yuva Express, Mahamana, Namo Bharat Rapid Rail and ordinary non-suburban services have been revised in line with the approved class-wise increases.
The ministry clarified that the revised fares will apply only to tickets booked on or after December 26, 2025. Tickets booked prior to the effective date will not attract any additional charges, even if the journey is undertaken later.
Fare lists displayed at railway stations will be updated accordingly.
The Railway Ministry said Indian Railways remains committed to providing safe, reliable and affordable travel, adding that the revised fare structure reflects a balanced approach that safeguards passenger convenience while ensuring operational sustainability.
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