Train passengers may have to soon cough up more mon- ey as the Railway Ministry is likely to announce a fare hike, effective July 1. Accord- ing to ministry sources, dis- cussions are underway to increase train fares and an official circular from the Railway Board is expected shortly.
As per the proposed new fare structure, there will be no change in the fares of suburban trains or monthly season tickets, offering re- lief to daily commuters. Similarly, passengers trav- eling in ordinary second- class coaches for distances up to 500 kilometres will not see any fare change.
However, for journeys ex- ceeding 500 kilometres, passengers may have to pay more. In Mail and Express trains (non-AC), the fare is expected to rise by one paisa per kilometre, while passengers traveling in air- conditioned (AC) coaches may have to shell out two paise more per kilometre.
If implemented, this hike will particularly affect long- distance travellers. This would be the third instance of a fare increase during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 11-year tenure. The last fare revision took place in January 2020, and prior to that, in 2014. With more than 25 million people trav- eling by train every day in India, the proposed fare hike is likely to have a wide- spread impact.