Starting July 1, 2025, Indian Railways has revised passenger fares for several train categories. If you regularly travel by long-distance mail, express, or premium trains, your journey will now cost a bit more. However, daily commuters using suburban trains or Monthly Season Tickets (MST) can breathe a sigh of relief as their fares remain untouched. The fare hike affects both non-AC and AC classes and applies to all tickets booked on or after this date.
According to the latest circular issued by the Ministry of Railways, the fare increase is modest but across the board:
Non-AC classes (Mail/Express): Increased by 1 paisa per kilometer
AC classes: Increased by 2 paise per kilometer
General second class (non-suburban): Increased by 0.5 paisa per kilometer for distances above 500 km
Sleeper and First Class: Also increased by 0.5 paisa per kilometer
For example, a 1,000 km journey in Sleeper Class will now cost ₹5 more than before, and the same distance in AC 3-Tier will cost ₹20 more.
Keeping in mind the interests of daily commuters, the ministry has not revised fares for:
Suburban train services
Monthly Season Tickets (MST)
Short-distance second class tickets (up to 500 km)
This move ensures that inflationary pressure does not affect lakhs of passengers who rely on local trains for work and daily needs.
The fare revision is also applicable to premium trains, including:
Rajdhani Express
Shatabdi Express
Duronto
Vande Bharat
Tejas
Humsafar
Amrit Bharat
Gatimaan
Mahamana Express
Antyodaya
Jan Shatabdi
Yuva Express
AC Vistadome Coaches
Anubhuti Coaches
All non-suburban services under these categories will now reflect the revised fares.
The ministry confirmed that no changes have been made to additional charges such as:
Reservation fees
Superfast surcharges
GST (Goods & Services Tax)
Round-off charges
The existing billing rules will continue as before across PRS (Passenger Reservation System), UTS (Unreserved Ticketing System), and manual ticketing systems.
| Train Category | Class | Fare Hike (per km) |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Non-AC Trains | General Second Class | 0.5 paisa (no change up to 500 km) |
| Sleeper Class | 0.5 paisa | |
| First Class | 0.5 paisa | |
| Mail/Express Non-AC | General Second Class | 1 paisa |
| Sleeper Class | 1 paisa | |
| First Class | 1 paisa | |
| AC Trains | AC Chair Car | 2 paise |
| AC 3-Tier / 3E | 2 paise | |
| AC 2-Tier | 2 paise | |
| AC First Class | 2 paise |
Along with fare revisions, the rules for Tatkal ticket bookings have also changed from July 1:
Tatkal tickets will now only be available to users with IRCTC accounts linked to Aadhaar.
From mid-July, OTP-based verification (sent to the Aadhaar-linked mobile number) will be mandatory.
Railway agents will be restricted from booking Tatkal tickets for the first 30 minutes after booking opens.
The July 2025 fare revision brings a moderate increase in long-distance travel costs, particularly for AC and Mail/Express trains. While regular passengers on local routes remain unaffected, those planning intercity journeys should budget for slightly higher expenses. With changes in both fare structures and booking rules, passengers are advised to stay updated and plan their trips accordingly.
