Train journeys will soon be costlier as Railways has implemented a fare hike starting December 26. While the fares for suburban train travel have not been hiked, longer journeys would cost way more.

The cost of general class tickets up to a distance of 215 km will not change, but anything beyond 215 km would cost 1 paise per km extra. For non–air-conditioned coaches on Mail or Express trains, the hike will be 2 paise per km. Passengers travelling 500 km in a non-AC coach will have to pay close to Rs 10 extra.

This is the second fare revision by Indian Railways during the current financial year. The previous fare revision was implemented in July.

Under the new changes, suburban services will remain as they are, without any increase in fares. In addition, ordinary class passengers travelling up to 215 km will not face any fare hike, a move aimed at protecting short-distance and economically weaker travellers, as reported by TOI.

For journeys beyond 215 km:

For journeys beyond 215 km in ordinary class, fares will increase by 1 paise per kilometre. In Mail and Express non-AC classes, the fare hike is 2 paise per kilometre. Indian Railways expects to earn approximately Rs 600 crore during the current year as a result of this fare rationalisation.

Changes in Railways over the past few years:

Over the past few years, Railways has expanded its network and operations. It has established more train services, higher speeds, and has also brought in a strong focus on safety. This has led to increased manpower requirements that have increased overtime.

Manpower costs have risen to Rs 1.15 lakh crore, while pension liabilities have increased to Rs 60,000 crore. For the 2024–25 financial year, the total cost of operations has reached Rs 2.63 lakh crore.

To manage these rising costs, officials said Railways is focusing on higher cargo loading along with limited passenger fare accounting.