NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 25, 2025: The Ministry of Railways has introduced a rationalized passenger fare structure effective from December 26, 2025, strategically designed to balance operational sustainability with passenger affordability.
In a move that protects daily commuters, the Ministry confirmed there will be no increase in fares for suburban services or Season Tickets (Monthly/Quarterly) across both suburban and non-suburban routes. Furthermore, short-distance travelers using Second Class Ordinary services will see no fare change for journeys up to 215 km, ensuring that the vast majority of local passengers remain unaffected by the new revisions.For longer distances and premium services, the adjustments have been kept minimal to reduce the financial burden on the public.
In Ordinary Non-AC services, the fare increase for Sleeper and First Class is limited to just 1 paise per kilometer. For Mail/Express trains, the revision is capped at 2 paise per kilometer across all categories, including AC 3-Tier, AC 2-Tier, and AC First Class. To put this into perspective, a 500 km journey in a non-AC Mail/Express coach will cost only about ₹10 more.
This calibrated increase also applies to premier trains such as Vande Bharat, Rajdhani, Shatabdi, and Amrit Bharat, ensuring a uniform application of the new basic fare structure.Crucially, the Ministry clarified that there are no changes to reservation fees, superfast surcharges, or GST rules, which remain at current levels.
The revised fares apply strictly to tickets booked on or after December 26, 2025. Passengers who have already booked their tickets for future travel will not be required to pay any difference in fare. Updated fare lists will be displayed at all railway stations starting tomorrow to ensure transparency and assist travelers with the new graded pricing for long-distance travel.
