Indian Railways rationalises fare structure; no hike for suburban and short-distance passengers
New Delhi: Indian Railways rationalised its passenger fare structure from December 26, 2025, keeping fares unchanged for suburban services, season tickets and second class ordinary journeys up to 215 km, while introducing marginal increases for select long-distance categories.
The Ministry of Railways said the railway fare rationalisation aimed to balance passenger affordability with the need for operational sustainability. Officials stressed that daily commuters and short-distance travellers would not face any additional burden.
Under the revised structure, suburban services and season tickets, including both suburban and non-suburban routes, will continue at existing fare levels. Similarly, second class ordinary passengers travelling up to 215 km will pay no extra amount.
For second class ordinary journeys beyond 215 km, Railways introduced graded increases. Passengers travelling between 216 km and 750 km will pay ₹5 more. Those travelling 751 km to 1,250 km will pay ₹10 extra. The increase rises to ₹15 for 1,251 km to 1,750 km, and ₹20 for distances between 1,751 km and 2,250 km.
In sleeper class ordinary and first class ordinary categories, Railways revised fares uniformly at 1 paise per kilometre for non-suburban journeys. Officials said this ensured a gradual and limited impact on passengers.
Mail and Express fares revised under railway fare rationalisation
As part of the railway fare rationalisation, Indian Railways revised Mail and Express train fares by 2 paise per kilometre across both AC and non-AC classes. This revision applies to sleeper class, first class, AC chair car, AC 3-tier, AC 2-tier and AC first class.
Officials said the impact remained minimal. For example, passengers travelling 500 km in a non-AC Mail or Express coach would pay about ₹10 more.
Railways also revised the basic fares of premium and special train services in line with the approved class-wise increases. These include Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Vande Bharat, Tejas, Gatimaan, Humsafar, Amrit Bharat, Mahamana, Antyodaya, Garib Rath, Jan Shatabdi, Yuva Express, Namo Bharat Rapid Rail and ordinary non-suburban services. However, AC MEMU and DEMU services remain excluded where applicable.
Despite the revisions, Railways retained existing reservation fees, superfast surcharges and other ancillary charges. GST applicability also remains unchanged, and fares will continue to follow existing rounding-off rules.
The revised fares apply only to tickets booked on or after December 26, 2025. Tickets booked before that date will not attract any additional charges, even if the journey takes place later.
Railway authorities said fare charts displayed at stations would be updated accordingly. They reiterated that the calibrated revision protected passenger convenience while supporting long-term operational needs.
