Railway Minister Says 2025 Fare Hikes Unlikely to Significantly Reduce Subsidy Burden

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the two passenger fare hikes in 2025 will have minimal impact on reducing the railways' subsidy burden, which includes around 45% concessions on fares. The fare increases, ranging from half paisa to two paisa per kilometer, affected major train services but excluded suburban and season ticket fares to maintain affordability for lower and middle-income passengers. The railways anticipates a 9.1% rise in passenger fare revenue in FY27 amid expected passenger traffic growth.