Railway Fare Hike: Before the New Year, Railways gave a ‘big shock’, travel from General to AC class became expensive, know how much the burden on your pocket will increase.
New Delhi. If you travel by train, then this news is important for you. Indian Railways has increased the train fares, which will be effective from 26 December 2025. Although it is a matter of relief that it will not affect the passengers traveling on short journeys, but long distance journeys will definitely become a bit expensive.
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According to the new arrangement issued by the Railways, there has been no increase in fares for suburban passengers and Monthly Season Ticket (MST) holders. Apart from this, the fare will remain the same even for journeys up to 215 kilometers in Ordinary Class. This means that short and medium distance passengers will continue to get relief.
How much did the fare increase?
Under the new system, 1 paisa extra will have to be paid per kilometer in ordinary class for distances more than 215 kilometers. Whereas the fare has been increased by 2 paise per kilometer in both non-AC and AC classes of mail/express trains. This simply means that there will be extra burden on the pockets of passengers traveling long distances. If we understand from the example, now a non-AC passenger traveling 500 kilometers will have to pay only Rs 10 extra. Railways says that this increase is very limited and its impact on the pockets of common passengers will be minimal.
How much will Railways benefit?
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According to railway officials, this fare revision is expected to generate additional income of about Rs 600 crore in the current financial year. The railway network and operations have expanded significantly in the last decade. Railways has also strengthened its human resources for safety and better services, which has led to a huge increase in expenditure.
Railway manpower expenditure
According to the data, the manpower expenditure of Railways has increased to Rs 1.15 lakh crore, while Rs 60 thousand crore is being spent annually on pension. Overall, the operational expenditure of Railways in 2024-25 will be around Rs 2.63 lakh crore. To balance these rising expenses, Railways is making slight revision in passenger fares along with increasing the freight traffic.
Railways claims that these efforts have had an impact on safety and operations. India has now become the second largest freight carrying railway network in the world. Recently, the successful operation of more than 12 thousand special trains during festivals is also an example of the better work force of Railways. Overall, this increase may seem modest, but its impact will be felt for regular and long-haul commuters. Now passengers will have to keep this change in mind while planning their journey.
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