New Delhi, December 21: Train journeys across India are set to become costlier as the Indian Railways announced a fare hike on Sunday, effective from December 26. The increase will primarily impact long-distance travellers, while suburban and short-distance passengers have been spared.

Key Highlights of the Fare Revision

• No change in fares for general class tickets up to 215 km.
• Suburban rail fares remain unchanged.
• Journeys beyond 215 km will see a hike of 1 paise per km.
• Fares for non-air-conditioned coaches on Mail and Express trains have been raised by 2 paise per km.
• Travel in air-conditioned coaches will also cost 2 paise per km more.

The Railways clarified that the hike will mean an additional ₹10 for a 500-km journey in both non-AC and AC compartments.

The fare revision is expected to generate an additional ₹600 crore in annual revenue. Officials said the move is aimed at offsetting rising manpower and pension costs, which have surged to ₹1,15,000 crore and ₹60,000 crore respectively. The overall operational expenditure for 2024–25 has climbed to ₹2,63,000 crore.

In its press release, the Railways highlighted significant expansion of its network and operations over the past decade. To meet the growing manpower costs, the organisation is also focusing on enhancing cargo loading.

This is the second fare hike in 2025. In July, fares for non-AC classes on Mail and Express trains were raised by 1 paise per km, while AC travel became costlier by 2 paise per km. That was the first revision since January 2020.

Disclaimer: This news is written on the basis of information received from different authentic sources.