Railways announce marginal fare hike to support rising operational costs

Hyderabad: Indian Railways has announced a rationalisation of basic passenger fares, effective from December 26. Describing the move as a measured step, officials stated the revision is necessary to support expanding operations and safety requirements without placing a heavy burden on travellers. The adjustment follows a detailed review of rising manpower, pension and operational costs across the national rail network.

Under the revised structure, suburban fares and season tickets will remain unchanged, providing continued relief to millions of daily commuters. Additionally, ordinary second-class passengers travelling up to 215 km will see no increase in ticket prices. Beyond this distance, marginal slab-based increases have been introduced, with fares rising gradually according to the journey length.

For mail and express non-AC services, as well as all AC classes, fares will increase by two paise per km. Ordinary non-AC classes will see a more modest rise of one paise per km. Railway officials emphasised that the revision has been carefully calibrated to ensure minimal impact; for instance, a passenger travelling 500 km in a non-AC coach will pay only approximately Rs 10 extra. Importantly, there are no changes to reservation charges, superfast surcharges, or other ancillary fees.