The railways have clarified that there is no change in fares for suburban services and season tickets. Additionally, there is no fare increase for journeys up to 215 kilometers in second-class ordinary compartments.

The fares for trains running under Indian Railways have increased from today (Friday), December 26th. The railways had issued a notification regarding this on December 21st. According to the railways, the rationalization of the passenger fare structure has been announced with the aim of maintaining a balance between passenger convenience and the financial stability of operations. This raises the question: will the increased fare apply to tickets booked in advance? Will those who booked tickets before December 26th have to pay extra money during their journey? Let's find out.

When will the increased fare be implemented?

According to the information, the revised railway fares came into effect from December 26, 2025. This will only apply to tickets booked from this date onwards. If you booked your ticket before December 26th, even if your travel date is December 26th or later, you will not have to pay any extra charges.

No fare increase in these categories

The railways have clarified that there is no change in fares for suburban services and season tickets (both suburban and non-suburban). Additionally, there is no fare increase for journeys up to 215 kilometers in second-class ordinary compartments.

Extra charges based on distance

It should be noted that the increased fares in non-AC ordinary trains have been implemented based on distance. For example, there is an increase of ₹5 for journeys between 216 km and 750 km. For journeys between 751 km and 1250 km, ₹10 more will have to be paid. Similarly, for journeys between 1251 km and 1750 km, ₹15 extra will be charged, and for tickets covering 1751 km to 2250 km, ₹20 extra will be added. Meanwhile, the fare for Sleeper Class Ordinary and First Class Ordinary has been increased by 1 paisa per kilometer.

How much has the fare increased for different trains?

According to the railways, the fare for both non-AC and AC categories (Sleeper, First Class, AC Chair Car, AC 3-Tier, AC 2-Tier, and AC First Class) in Mail/Express trains has been increased by 2 paise per kilometer. For example, a 500 km non-AC Mail/Express journey will now cost passengers approximately ₹10 extra. The increased fare will apply uniformly to other major trains, including Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Vande Bharat, Tejas, Humsafar, Amrit Bharat, Garib Rath, Jan Shatabdi, Antyodaya, Gatimaan, Yuva Express, and Namo Bharat Rapid Rail.

This information was provided by the railways.

Furthermore, the railways have clarified that there has been no change in reservation charges, superfast surcharge, or any other ancillary charges. The GST rates and fare rounding rules will also remain the same. The fare charts displayed at stations will be updated with the new fares from December 26, 2025.