Indian Railways on Sunday announced a revised fare structure that will come into effect from December 26, a move expected to generate an additional Rs 600 crore in revenue, according to official estimates. Indian Railways is the country’s second-largest employer.
Under the new pricing system, passengers travelling beyond 215 km will see a marginal hike in fares. In Ordinary Class, fares will increase by 1 paisa per kilometre, while Mail/Express Non-AC and AC classes will see a hike of 2 paise per kilometre. There will be no fare increase for journeys up to 215 km.
For instance, a passenger travelling 500 km in a Non-AC Mail/Express train will pay an additional Rs 10. The Railways clarified that suburban services and Monthly Season Tickets (MSTs) will remain unchanged to protect affordability for low- and middle-income commuters.
Special Trains For Christmas–New Year Rush
To manage the anticipated surge in travel during the festive season, Indian Railways has announced the operation of 244 additional special train trips across eight railway zones during the Christmas and New Year period of 2025–26. More special services are expected to be announced in the coming days.
Special trains are being operated on high-demand routes connecting Delhi, Howrah, Lucknow, and adjoining cities to facilitate long-distance travel for passengers heading home or to holiday destinations.
On the Mumbai–Goa Konkan corridor, daily and weekly special trains are running between Mumbai CSMT/LTT and Karmali/Madgaon, offering additional sleeper and seating capacity. Special services have also been introduced on routes such as Mumbai–Nagpur, Pune–Sanganer, and other key Maharashtra sectors to ease festive travel congestion.
Indian Railways said it will continue to monitor passenger demand and add more special services wherever required.
