Indian Railways hikes fares for long-distance ordinary class
Indian Railways is bumping up fares for ordinary class passengers by one paise per kilometer on journeys over 215km, starting December 26, 2025.
For example, a typical 500km trip in a non-AC mail or express train will now cost just ₹10 more.
This small hike is set to add about ₹600 crore to the railways' yearly revenue.
Who's affected (and who's not)
If you use suburban trains or have a monthly season ticket, this change won't impact you. Shorter trips—215km or less—stay at the old prices too.
The hike mainly targets non-AC regular classes on longer mail and express routes as Indian Railways tries to keep up with rising costs.
Why the price jump?
Railway expenses have shot up, hitting ₹2.63 lakh crore for 2024-25—mostly due to staff salaries, pensions, and upgrades for safety and expansion.
The fare tweak is an attempt to narrow the gap between what it costs to run the trains and what they actually earn.