Under the revised structure, passengers travelling in ordinary class beyond 215 km will pay an additional one paisa per kilometre. For non-air-conditioned classes on mail and express trains, as well as all air-conditioned classes, fares will rise by two paise per kilometre. The Railways clarified that suburban monthly season tickets and ordinary-class journeys up to 215 km will remain unaffected.

Officials said the fare adjustment applies only to tickets booked on or after December 26. Passengers who have already purchased tickets for travel beyond that date will not be charged any extra amount. According to an internal note shared with reporters, a non-AC passenger covering 500 km will pay just Rs 10 more under the revised rates.

The Railways explained that the increase aims to offset rising operational expenses. Over the past decade, the network and scale of operations have expanded significantly, leading to higher staffing and safety-related costs. Manpower expenditure has reached Rs 1.15 lakh crore, pension liabilities stand at Rs 60,000 crore, and overall operational costs for 2024-25 have climbed to Rs 2.63 lakh crore. To manage this burden, the Railways has focused on boosting freight earnings alongside modest passenger fare rationalisation.

The Congress, however, criticised the move, accusing the government of implementing the hike without proper disclosure. Party spokesperson Pawan Khera said the Railways had circulated the fare note informally instead of announcing it transparently, particularly with the Union Budget approaching. He described the decision as a covert fare increase and questioned the government's intent and timing.

Despite the criticism, railway officials said the government limited and carefully calibrated the revision to sustain expanding operations and improve safety standards.