Indian Railways Hikes Fares Across All Classes, From General to AC

Indian Railways has increased train fares. Fares have been hiked across the board, from General to AC classes.

Indian Railways news: Millions of people travel by Indian Railways daily. In such a situation, the pockets of the countrymen are going to be affected. The Railways has increased fares from General to AC. This increase is going to be implemented from December 26. According to Indian Railways, the fare has not been increased for ordinary category travel up to 215 kilometers, but for distances beyond this, the fare in General Class has been increased by 1 paisa per kilometer.

Increase of two paise per KM in AC and Non-AC categories

There will be an increase of 2 paise per kilometer in the non-AC category of Mail and Express trains. Similarly, the fare in the AC category has also been increased by 2 paise per kilometer. The Railways stated that passengers travelling 500 kilometers in non-AC will have to pay only Rs 10 extra.

The Railways has clarified that there has been no increase in the fares of suburban services and monthly season tickets (MST). Additionally, passengers travelling up to 215 kilometers in the ordinary category will not have to pay any extra amount.

Additional income of Rs 600 crore

This fare rationalisation by the Railways is estimated to generate an additional income of approximately Rs 600 crore in the current financial year. According to railway officials, there has been a significant expansion in the railway network and operations over the past decade. To improve increasing operational and safety standards, the Railways has also increased its human resources.

Due to this, the manpower cost of the Railways has increased to Rs 1 lakh 15 thousand crore, while the expenditure on pensions has reached Rs 60 thousand crore. In the year 2024-25, the total operating cost of the Railways has become Rs 2 lakh 63 thousand crore.

To meet these rising costs, the Railways is focusing on increased freight and limited rationalisation of passenger fares. The Railways states that due to efforts made in safety and improved operations, India has become the second-largest freight-carrying railway in the world. Recently, over 12,000 special trains were successfully operated during the festive season.