Starting July 1, the Indian Railways will implement a nationwide passenger fare hike for long-distance travel, marking the first such revision in five years. The fare increase will impact second class, sleeper and AC class passengers, with rates adjusted based on distance and class of travel.
However, for second class passengers, fares will remain unchanged for journeys up to 500 km. Beyond that, the fare increase will be as follows:
– Rs 5 for 501 – 1500 km
– Rs 10 for 1501 – 2500 km
– Rs 15 for 2501 – 3000 km
Additionally, second class fares on Mail/Express trains will rise by 1 paisa per kilometre.
Slight increase in Sleeper and First Class fares
Sleeper and First Class fares will increase by 0.5 paisa per kilometre on long-distance trains, and by 1 paisa per kilometre on Mail/Express services. For AC classes, including Chair Car, AC 3-Tier/3-Economy, AC 2-Tier, and First/Executive Class, fares will increase by 2 paise per kilometre.
The revised fare structure will also apply to premium and special trains such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Vande Bharat, Tejas, Humsafar and others. However, ancillary charges like reservation fees, superfast surcharges and GST will remain unchanged. Fare rounding-off practices will continue as per existing norms.
Alongside the fare revision, Indian Railways will implement stricter rules for Tatkal ticket bookings to enhance transparency. From July 1, only Aadhaar-verified users will be allowed to book Tatkal tickets through the IRCTC website and mobile app. Further, beginning July 15, an OTP-based Aadhaar authentication will be mandatory during Tatkal bookings.
The Ministry of Railways stated that the fare adjustments are aimed at improving service quality while ensuring sustainable operations.