Hyderabad: Indian Railways has announced a hike in passenger fares for long-distance routes, increasing charges by ₹10 for every 500 kilometres in both non-AC and AC coaches. The revised fares will be effective from December 26, 2024.
According to the Ministry of Railways, the fare revision does not apply to suburban train services. General class passengers travelling up to 215 kilometres will also not see any change in ticket prices. However, beyond that distance, fares will rise by 1 paisa per kilometre in general class. For Mail and Express trains, the hike is 2 paise per kilometre in both AC and non-AC coaches.
Effectively, passengers travelling in either class over 500 kilometres will pay ₹10 more under the new fare structure. The hike aims to offset the rising operational costs of the Railways, which has cited growing expenses on staff salaries and pensions.
Railways cites rising costs as reason for fare hike
The Railway Ministry said it expects to earn an additional ₹600 crore annually through the revised fare structure. Officials noted that the salary burden for railway employees has climbed to ₹1.15 lakh crore, while pension liabilities have reached ₹60,000 crore.
In total, the ministry has projected an operational expenditure of ₹2.63 lakh crore for the financial year 2024–25. Against this backdrop, it has focused on revenue enhancement through both passenger and cargo services.
While the fare hike affects long-distance travellers, it does not extend to short-haul or commuter trains. The unchanged rates for suburban services are expected to maintain affordability for daily passengers in urban and semi-urban areas.