Train Tickets To Cost More. Check Fare Hikes For Different Coaches

Train journeys are set to become dearer as the Railways implements a fare hike starting December 26. While fares for suburban train travel have not been hiked, longer journeys would cost more.

The cost of general class tickets up to a distance of 215 kilometres (km) will not change. But distances more than 215 km would cost 1 paise per km. For non-air-conditioned coaches on mail or express trains, the hike will be 2 paise per km. The cost of travel in air-conditioned coaches has also been hiked by 2 paise per km.

This means that a 500 km journey in non-air-conditioned coaches would cost Rs 10 more after the new rates kick in.

Railways has said it has expanded its network and operations significantly over the past decade, and it is increasing its manpower. The latest fare hike will hike the Railways' earnings by Rs 600 crore annually.

The Railways said its manpower cost has increased to Rs 1,15,000 crore and pension cost to Rs 60,000 crore. The total cost of operations has increased to Rs 2,63,000 crore in the 2024-25 financial year.

To meet this manpower cost hike, Railways has said it is focusing on enhancing cargo loading and a passenger fare hike.

Earlier, the Railways hiked fares in July. The fare in non-air-conditioned class in Mail and Express trains was hiked by 1 paise per km and travel in air-conditioned classes became dearer by 2 paise per km.

Before that, train fare was hiked on January 1, 2020. In 2020, second-class fare for ordinary and mail/express trains increased by 1 paisa/km and 2 paise/km, respectively. Fares in sleeper classes and all AC classes went up by 2 paise/km and 4 paise/km, respectively.