This news may be relevant to those who travel by train as the Indian Railways has raised the prices of mail and express train tickets, effective from 26th December, 2023. The increase in train ticket costs will particularly affect passengers who travel on long-distance trains.
On 26 December 2023, the new fare structure will not be changing; all journeys under 215 km performed in general class will not have a fare increase. The new fare structure will see an increase of 1 paise per kilometer for journeys over 215 km for general class tickets and an increase of 2 paise per kilometer for mail/express non-AC and AC tickets.
With this fare increase, Indian Railways expects to make an excess of ₹600 Crore. For example, after this new fare increase, a passenger that travels 500km in a non-AC train will pay ₹10 more than they would prior to the fare increase.
The Railway has announced a new fare structure effective from December 26, 2025, with no fare increase for journeys under 215 km in Ordinary Class. For journeys beyond 215 km, there will be a fare hike of 1 paise per km in Ordinary Class, and 2 paise per km for Mail/Express… pic.twitter.com/lD4fUQ8eeK
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2025
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How much will the fare increase in which category?
According to the Railways, for journeys of more than 215 km, there will be an increase of 1 paise per kilometre in general class.
At the same time, in Mail/Express, the fare in non-AC category will increase by 2 paise per kilometre.
The AC class has also increased by 2 paise per kilometre.
On the other hand, for a non-AC journey of 500 km, passengers will have to pay only Rs 10 more in total.
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Why has the Railways increased the fare?
According to the Railways, the network and number of trains have expanded significantly in the last 10 years. For safety and better management, the number of railway employees has also been increased, which has led to an increase in salaries and allowances. According to the Railways, manpower expenditure has increased by Rs 1.15 lakh crore, while pension expenditure is Rs 60,000 crore annually. The total operating expenditure of the Railways (2024-25) was Rs 2.63 lakh crore.
In this situation, to balance this rising cost, the Railways has announced a limited increase in passenger fares along with an increase in the number of freight vehicles. The Railways said that safety has improved significantly as a result of the security measures. India now has the second largest freight railway network in the world and the successful operation of over 12,000 trains during the festive season is a testament to its efficiency.