Indian Railways has rationalised its passenger fare structure with effect from December 26, 2025, aiming to strike a balance between passenger affordability and operational sustainability.

Under the revised structure, no fare increase has been introduced for suburban services and Season Tickets, covering both suburban and non-suburban routes. In Second Class Ordinary (non-suburban) travel, fares remain unchanged for journeys up to 215 km, ensuring that short-distance passengers and daily commuters are not impacted. For longer distances, fares have been increased in a graded manner — Rs 5 for 216–750 km, Rs 10 for 751–1250 km, Rs 15 for 1251–1750 km, and Rs 20 for 1751–2250 km.

For Sleeper Class Ordinary and First Class Ordinary, fares have been revised uniformly at 1 paise per kilometre for non-suburban journeys, resulting in a minimal increase. In Mail and Express trains, fares across both Non-AC and AC classes have been rationalised at 2 paise per kilometre. For instance, a 500 km non-AC Mail/Express journey will now cost passengers only about Rs 10 extra.

Basic fares of major train services, including Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Vande Bharat, Tejas, Humsafar, Amrit Bharat, Garib Rath, Jan Shatabdi, Antyodaya, Gatimaan, Yuva Express, Namo Bharat Rapid Rail, and other ordinary non-suburban services, have been revised in line with the approved class-wise structure.

Importantly, reservation charges, superfast surcharges, and other ancillary fees remain unchanged, and GST norms continue as applicable. The revised fares apply only to tickets booked on or after December 26, 2025; tickets booked earlier will not attract any additional charges, even if the journey is undertaken later.

Indian Railways said the updated fare charts will be displayed at stations and reaffirmed its commitment to providing safe, reliable, and affordable travel while ensuring long-term operational sustainability.