Railway Fare Increase: Will It Impact Mumbai Local Train Commuters? All You Need To Know
Under the revised fare structure of the Indian Railways, a 500-kilometre journey in non-air-conditioned coaches will become costlier by Rs 10 per ticket.
Travelling on mail and express trains is set to get pricier with Indian Railways announcing a revised fare structure for long-distance trains starting Dec. 26. The fare hike is aimed at adjusting train ticket pricing across services.
Under the revised fare structure, a 500-kilometre journey will cost Rs 10 more per ticket for both AC and non-AC coaches. However, short-distance journey remains unaffected.
Passengers should note that general class fares for trips up to 215 km will not change. For journeys exceeding 215 km, ordinary class fares will increase by 1 paise per km. AC and non-AC coaches on Mail and Express trains will see a 2 paise per km rise in fares, according to the Indian Railways.
"For journeys beyond 215 km, there will be a fare hike of 1 paise per km in Ordinary Class, and 2 paise per km for Mail/Express Non-AC and AC classes," the official notification reads.
What This Means For Mumbai Local Trains
Indian Railways has clarified that its move to increase fares, mainly on longer routes, is aimed at generating revenue to meet increased expenses. It also noted that the new rules do not apply to routes under 215 km and suburban trains. This means that people travelling via Mumbai local trains need not worry about any fare increase.
The fare hike is projected to boost railway earnings by Rs 600 crore, helping cover rising manpower costs and other expenses.
The latest hike comes after the Indian Railways announced a fare hike in July. At that time, fares for non-AC Mail and Express trains were raised by 1 paise per km, and AC classes by 2 paise per km.
Daily commuters using suburban railway networks were spared from the previous fare hikes in July as well. Monthly season tickets were also exempted from the changes. According to officials, prior to that, train fares were last increased on Jan. 1, 2020, but were kept unchanged due to Covid-19 pandemic and other factors.
