Mail and Express train ticket prices will increase by two paise per kilometre for journeys taken in non-air-conditioned coaches.
The price of taking the train is increasing after December 26 due to new fare structures, especially for longer distances. However, the fare for short-distance (suburban) services will not change.
Train fares are staying the same for general class tickets for journeys of up to 215 kilometres; however, train fares will be increasing by one paise per kilometre for journeys that exceed that distance.
Mail and Express train ticket prices will increase by two paise per kilometre for journeys taken in non-air-conditioned coaches. They will also be increasing by two paise per kilometre for passengers in air-conditioned trains.
For example, after the new rates are in effect, a Non-AC ticket for a journey of 500 kilometres would cost approximately Rs 10 more than before.
According to the Railways, this train fare revision shows the significant growth in its railway network and operations over the past ten years due to falling manpower costs and increased operational costs. The Railway’s new fare revision is expected to generate an additional Rs 600 crore in revenue for the Railways.
The Railways stated that its increased manpower expenses are currently at Rs 1.15 lakh crore while its pension expenses are currently at Rs 60,000 crore; total operational costs are expected to total Rs 2.63 lakh crore in the 2024-25 financial period.
To help offset these increased operational costs, the Railways is taking the initiative to increase freight loads and revise the current passenger ticket rates.
Earlier this year, there was a fare increase, raising fares for all non-air conditioning (AC) classes of mail and express trains by a single penny per kilometer, whereas the taxes for all AC classes of train travel went up by two pennies per kilometer.
The last major increase prior to the above-mentioned increase occurred on January 1st, 2020. At that time, the price for second-class travel on both regular and mail/express trains increased by one and two pennies per kilometer, respectively.
At that point, sleeper-class travelers experienced an increase of two pennies per kilometer, whereas all AC-class travelers experienced an increase of four pennies per kilometer.
