The railway’s ministry late on Tuesday ordered an across-the-board hike in passenger basic fare that will come into effect from midnight.
“Ministry of Railways has decided to revise the basic passenger fare… effective from 1 January 2020,” said the order issued on Tuesday evening hours before the new fare will come effect said.
The fare has been hiked by 1 paisa per km for ordinary non-AC trains, by 2 paise per km for mail and express trains (non-AC coach) and 4 paise per km for travel in AC classes.
The fare hike comes just a day after Railway Board chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav told reporters that the Centre had not taken any decision to raise passenger and freight fare. He had, however, spoken about the need to “rationalize” the fare.
As the new fare for passengers was notified, the railway’s ministry stressed that the last fare revision was carried out five years ago in 2014-15.
“Subsequently, there has been a steady up-gradation and expansion of amenities, both off-board, and on-board. Indian Railways has continuously endeavored to augment passenger experience through modernization of coaches and provision of improved facilities over stations,” the railway’s ministry said.
In case of tickets already issued at pre-revised rates, the difference of fare on or after 1 January 2020 shall not be collected. However, any new tickets made by the ticket examiner or ticket checking staff in trains or stations shall be charged on the revised fare, the railways’ ministry said.
Tuesday evening’s order said the fare hike would cover travel in trains such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Vande Bharat, Tejas, Humsafar, Mahamana, Gatimaan, Antyodaya, Garib Rath, Jan Shatabdi, Rajya Rani, Yuva Expresses, Suvidha and special trains on special charges, AC MEMU (non-suburban) and AC DEMU (non-suburban).
