New Delhi: Ticket prices for train journeys across India have gone up starting July 1, and even the high-speed premium Vande Bharat Express is not exempt from the hike. The Indian Railways has rolled out a new fare structure affecting most categories, including AC and non-AC classes, as part of its broader infrastructure upgrade plans.

The revised fares are part of the Railways’ push to fund major infrastructure upgrades, including the modernisation of trains, track doubling projects, and the redevelopment of key stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.

Breakdown of the fare hike:

The fare increase applies as follows:

  • Vande Bharat, AC 3-tier, 2-tier, First AC, and Chair Car: Hike of 2 paise per kilometre
  • Sleeper Class, Ordinary Mail/Express Trains: Hike of 0.5 to 1 paise per kilometre
  • Second-class non-AC passengers: Hike of 1 paise per kilometre
  • No fare change for non-AC unreserved journeys under 500 km

Additionally, for long-distance travel:

  • Journeys between 1500–2500 km will cost ₹10 more
  • Journeys above 2500 km will cost ₹15 more

Impact on booked tickets and tatkal changes

Railway officials confirmed that the revised rates will not affect tickets already booked prior to July 1. Passengers with existing bookings will not be charged the difference retroactively.

Additionally, Indian Railways has introduced a mandatory Aadhaar OTP verification for Tatkal ticket bookings, also effective from July 1. This move is aimed at curbing bulk ticketing and preventing black-market sales, a practice that has plagued high-demand routes, especially during festive seasons and holidays.

Changes in Passenger Reservation System

One of the biggest enhancements accompanying the hike is the introduction of a next-generation Passenger Reservation System (PRS) that can handle over 1.5 lakh bookings per minute, a 5X boost from the existing capacity of 32,000 tickets per minute.