Mumbai, June 30: In a significant move, the Indian Railways will revise passenger fares across multiple classes starting July 1, 2025, marking the first such increase in five years. This fare hike is being described by officials as the lowest in the past 12 years and is aimed at improving the financial sustainability of passenger services.

The Ministry of Railways said that the revision will contribute an additional INR 1,500 crore in annual revenue, which will be used to enhance passenger amenities at stations and onboard trains. The fare hike applies to both ordinary and mail/express trains, as well as premium services such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Vande Bharat, Tejas, and others. Indian Railways to Now Prepare Reservation Charts 8 Hours Before Train Departure Instead of Current Practice of 4 Hours To Enhance Passenger Convenience.

Will Mumbai Local Train Ticket Prices Increase From July 01?

There will be no change in suburban train fares and monthly season tickets (MSTs). Also, tickets booked before July 1, 2025, will not be subject to the revised fares.

Indian Railways Fare Hike: Check New Ticket Slabs

For second-class ordinary trains, there will be no fare increase for journeys up to 500 km. Beyond this, fares will increase by INR 5 to INR 15 depending on the distance. In mail/express trains, non-AC classes will see a 1 paisa per km hike, while AC classes will be costlier by 2 paise per km. Sleeper and First Class fares in both categories will rise by 0.5–1 paisa per km. Railway Ticket Price Hike: Indian Railways Set To Revise Passenger Fares From July 1, Check Details.

Aadhaar-Based Tatkal Ticket Verification

In addition to the fare changes, Indian Railways is introducing Aadhaar-based verification for Tatkal bookings. Starting July 1, only verified users will be able to book Tatkal tickets on the IRCTC platform. Passengers will be required to authenticate their identity using Aadhaar or DigiLocker-linked documents. An OTP-based verification system will also be implemented by the end of July.

To further improve passenger convenience, the Railways will now begin preparing reservation charts eight hours before train departure, instead of the current four hours. For trains departing before 2 PM, charts will be finalised by 9 PM the previous day, giving waitlisted passengers more time to plan alternate travel arrangements.

The Ministry clarified that reservation charges, superfast surcharges, GST, and other ancillary fees will remain unchanged. Fare rounding rules will also follow existing guidelines.

Zonal Railways have been directed to ensure smooth implementation of the revised fare structure, including updating fare displays at stations and making necessary changes to PRS, UTS, and manual ticketing systems.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 30, 2025 08:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).