The Ministry of Railways has introduced a rationalised passenger fare structure, effective from December 26, 2025, aimed at ensuring operational sustainability while prioritising affordability for the majority of passengers, especially daily commuters and short-distance travellers.
Key highlights of the revision include **no fare increase** for suburban services, Monthly Season Tickets (both suburban and non-suburban), and Second Class Ordinary journeys up to 215 km. This move protects the most vulnerable and frequent users of the railway network.
For Ordinary Non-AC (Non-Suburban) services:
- No change for distances up to 215 km.
- Graded increases for longer distances: ₹5 for 216–750 km, ₹10 for 751–1250 km, ₹15 for 1251–1750 km, and ₹20 for 1751–2250 km.
- Sleeper Class Ordinary and First Class Ordinary see a uniform 1 paise per km increase.
In Mail/Express trains, fares across Non-AC and AC classes (including Sleeper, First Class, AC Chair Car, AC 3-Tier, AC 2-Tier, and AC First Class) have been revised by **2 paise per km**. For example, a 500 km journey in a non-AC Mail/Express coach will cost passengers just ₹10 more.
Premium services such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Vande Bharat, Humsafar, Tejas, and others have been aligned with these class-wise increases in a calibrated manner.
Importantly, there are **no changes** to reservation fees, superfast charges, GST applicability, or fare rounding rules.
The revised fares will apply **only to tickets booked on or after December 26, 2025**. Advance bookings made before this date remain unaffected, even for travel after the effective date, providing relief to passengers with existing plans.
Fare lists at stations will be updated from December 26, 2025. For detailed guidelines, refer to the official Commercial Circular at the Indian Railways website.
This rationalisation comes amid rising operational costs, with the Railways emphasising continued focus on efficiency and affordable transport for all.
