Train travel in India is set to become marginally more expensive from December 26, with the Indian Railways announcing a revised fare structure that raises ticket prices for longer journeys while keeping suburban and short-distance travel untouched.
According to the Railways, the fare rationalisation is expected to generate an additional Rs 600 crore in annual revenue, one of the more significant tweaks to passenger pricing in recent years.
Under the new structure, passengers travelling up to 215 km in Ordinary Class will see no increase in fares. Beyond that distance, Ordinary Class travellers will pay 1 paisa more per kilometre.
For Mail and Express trains, both non-air-conditioned and air-conditioned classes will attract a hike of 2 paise per kilometre.
In practical terms, a 500 km journey in a non-AC coach will now cost Rs 10 more, Railways officials said.
Suburban train fares and monthly season tickets have been left untouched, a move aimed at protecting daily commuters and low- and middle-income passengers. The Railways said affordability remained a key consideration while restructuring fares.
The fare hike comes against the backdrop of rising operational and manpower costs. As reported by NDTV, Railways’ manpower expenses have climbed to Rs 1.15 lakh crore, while pension liabilities stand at Rs 60,000 crore. Total operational costs touched Rs 2.63 lakh crore in the 2024-25 financial year.
Officials said the additional revenue would help offset these costs, alongside a renewed push to increase freight loading.
Alongside the fare revision, Indian Railways has announced a major operational push for the festive season.
244 special train trips will be operated across eight zones during Christmas and the New Year period to manage the expected surge in passenger traffic, Economic Times reported citing details shared by the ministry.
Special services are being run on busy corridors connecting Delhi, Howrah and Lucknow, while the Mumbai–Goa Konkan route will see daily and weekly special trains between Mumbai CSMT or LTT and Karmali or Madgaon. Additional services have also been introduced on routes such as Mumbai–Nagpur and Pune–Sanganer.
The Railways said more special trains may be announced in the coming days as travel demand peaks.
In a broader update issued on December 20, the ministry said work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project had gathered pace, with 100 per cent land acquisition completed in Maharashtra.
For passengers, however, the immediate impact will be felt at ticket counters from December 26, with longer journeys now coming at a slightly higher cost, just in time for the year-end travel rush.
(With inputs from PTI)