Train travel to get costlier: Indian Railways hikes fares, new Tatkal rules to begin from July 1

Indian Railways is set to implement a revised fare structure for the first time in several years, beginning July 1, 2025. The fare revision will affect long-distance passengers, while daily suburban commuters and monthly season ticket holders will remain unaffected.

According to The Times of India report, the hike will be marginal but marks a significant policy shift.

For non-AC Mail and Express trains, fares will increase by 1 paise per kilometre. AC class passengers, across all categories including Chair Car, AC 3-tier, 2-tier, and 1st AC, will pay 2 paise more per kilometre.

Ordinary second-class travellers will face no change in fares for journeys up to 500 km. However, for distances exceeding 500 km, a half paise per km hike will apply.

For instance, passengers travelling 1,000 km in second class beyond the 500 km exemption would pay an additional Rs 2.50, while the same journey in non-AC Mail/Express would cost Rs 10 more. AC passengers on the same route would see a Rs 20 hike.

Suburban, Short-Distance and MST Fares Left Untouched

The Railway Ministry has clarified that suburban routes, like Mumbai locals and Kolkata suburban trains, will see no fare hike. Monthly Season Ticket (MST) holders will also not face any change in prices, offering continued relief to lakhs of daily office-goers and students.

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Major Change in Tatkal Bookings: Aadhaar Now Mandatory

In a parallel move aimed at streamlining the booking process and curbing misuse, Indian Railways will require Aadhaar authentication for booking Tatkal tickets on the IRCTC website or app.

This rule will come into effect from July 1, 2025. The change, announced via a directive issued on June 10, makes Aadhaar-based login mandatory for all Tatkal bookings.

Further tightening the process, from July 15, travellers must also undergo Aadhaar-based OTP verification during Tatkal ticket bookings.

Booking agents have been restricted as well and they will not be allowed to make Tatkal reservations during the first 30 minutes of opening: 10:00 am to 10:30 am for AC classes and 11:00 am to 11:30 am for non-AC.

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The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) and IRCTC have been directed to update booking platforms and notify all zonal divisions.

The move is aimed at ensuring that common users benefit most from the high-demand Tatkal scheme.