Important news has come in for railway passengers. Indian Railways is set to implement a new fare tariff from 1 July 2025. This change will affect regular passengers as well as those travelling long distances, leading to increased travel costs. However, the good news is that fares for some categories will remain unchanged.
According to the new tariff:
- For Second Class (General) travel up to 500 kilometres, there will be no increase in fare.
- For journeys beyond 500 kilometres, an additional half paisa per kilometre will be charged.
Additionally:
- Passengers travelling in Mail/Express (Non-AC) trains will now pay 1 paisa more per kilometre.
- The biggest hike is in AC class tickets, where fares will rise by 2 paisa per kilometre.
- There will be no change in the fare for suburban trains, offering relief to millions of daily commuters.
- Monthly season ticket prices also remain unchanged.
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In a separate update, the Indian Railways is also working on a new ticket booking system. Currently, passengers come to know if their ticket is confirmed only four hours before the journey. But with the upcoming system, the final reservation chart will be released 24 hours in advance, providing better clarity.
Railways has already started testing this system. A pilot trial began on 6 June in the Bikaner Division of Rajasthan, and it’s currently being tested on a single train. So far, officials report that there have been no issues. The trial will continue for a few weeks before wider implementation.