Train fares rise as Railways increases prices; non-AC travel to cost ₹10 per 500 km

Indian Railways has announced a fare revision effective December 26, under which long-distance train travel will become more expensive, while suburban services will remain unaffected.

Officials said fares for general class journeys up to 215 km would not change, but travel beyond that distance would see an increase of 1 paise per kilometre.

For mail and express trains, non-air-conditioned coaches will attract a hike of 2 paise per kilometre, the Railways said, adding that air-conditioned travel will also become costlier by the same margin. As a result, a 500 km journey in a non-AC coach would cost passengers about ₹10 more under the revised rates, TNIE reported.

The Railways justified the increase by pointing to the significant expansion of its network and operations over the past decade, along with a rise in workforce strength. It is estimated that the fare hike would generate an additional ₹600 crore in annual revenue.

According to officials, manpower expenses have climbed to around Rs 1,15,000 crore, while pension liabilities have reached ₹60,000 crore, taking the total operational cost to Rs 2,63,000 crore in the 2024–25 financial year. To manage these rising expenses, the Railways said it is focusing on boosting freight loading and adjusting passenger fares.

The latest revision follows earlier fare hikes introduced in July, when non-AC mail and express fares were increased by 1 paise per kilometre and AC fares by 2 paise per kilometre.

Prior to that, train fares were last revised on January 1, 2020, when second-class fares rose by 1–2 paise per kilometre, and sleeper and AC class fares were increased by up to 4 paise per kilometre.