E-Paper
Train tickets to get costlier as Railways increases fare. Check new rates
According to the announcement, long-distance travellers will bear the brunt of the Railway fare hike.
Journeys on trains in the country, which serve as a lifeline for many Indians, are set to become costlier as the Indian Railways announced a fare hike on Sunday.
According to the announcement, long-distance travellers will bear the brunt of the hike, while those travelling under 215 kilometres have been spared from the fare increase. The fares for suburban train travel have also not been increased.
The revised fares will take effect on December 26.
Check the new train fares as the Railways announces a hike
- The cost of general class tickets up to a distance of 215 kilometres will not change. Suburban rail fares also remain unchanged.
- Distances of more than 215 kilometres will see a fare hike of 1 paise per kilometre.
- The fare for non-air-conditioned coaches on mail or express trains has been increased by 2 paise per kilometre.
- The cost of travel in air-conditioned coaches has also been hiked by 2 paise per kilometre.
- The latest hike is expected to generate an additional ₹600 crore in earnings for the railways, which it said will offset the cost of increasing manpower and expanding the network.
The new fare hike announced by the Railways means that a 500-kilometre journey in non-air-conditioned coaches will cost ₹10 more after the new rates take effect. The same additional cost will be borne by those travelling in AC compartments.
What else did the Railways say?
In the press release, the Indian Railways has stated that it has significantly expanded its network and operations over the past decade and is increasing its manpower.
According to the Railways, its manpower cost has increased to ₹1,15,000 crore and pension cost to ₹60,000 crore. The total cost of operations has increased ₹ ₹2,63,000 crore in the 2024-25 financial year.
Apart from the fare hike, the Railways said that it is focusing on enhancing cargo loading to meet the increase in manpower costs.
Earlier, the Railways had also hiked fares in July this year. The fare in non-air-conditioned classes in Mail and Express trains was increased by 1 paise per kilometre, and travel in air-conditioned classes became more expensive by 2 paise per kilometre. It was the first fare hike since January 2020.
