Rail Budget: Train fares hiked across classes first time in 10 yrs

Train travel just got costlier! Minister Dinesh Trivedi has announced a hike in passenger fares for the first time in 10 years. Second class passenger fares have been upped by 2 paise per kilometre while sleeper class fares are up 5 paise per kilometer.

AC fares too see a hike by 10 paise per kilometer. First AC ticket is now expensive by 10 paise while second AC is costlier by 30 paise.

Platform tickets will now on cost Rs 5 instead of the Rs 3.

Trivedi says that the fee hike is not very steep and passengers will not be impacted much. A second class mail or express passenger travelling 375 km will, in essence, have to bear an additional cost of only Rs 12 and that for a 750 km journey by sleeper class on mail or express train will cost him only Rs 40 more than what he is currently paying.

Trivedi also introduced 96 new trains as part of the 12th plan. His list includes introduction of 75 new Express trains and 21 passenger trains, besides 75 new services in Mumbai suburban rail network, 50 new services in Kolkata suburban rail network and 15 in Chennai suburban rail network.