The Indian Railways is set implement marginal hike in passenger fares starting July 1 across various classes of long-distance trains, including AC and non-AC Mail and Express services.
According to CNBC Awaaz, fares for non-AC Mail and Express trains will increase by 1 paise per kilometre, while AC class fares will see a hike of 2 paise per kilometre.
According to the revised fare structure set to take effect on July 1, 2025, there will be no change in fares for suburban trains and monthly season tickets. In Ordinary Second Class, fares will remain unchanged for journeys up to 500 kilometres.
However, for distances exceeding 500 kilometres, fares will increase by 0.5 paise per kilometre.
The Ministry of Railways has also mandated Aadhaar authentication for all Tatkal ticket bookings via the IRCTC website and app, effective July 1, 2025. The move, announced through a directive on June 10, is aimed at curbing misuse of the Tatkal scheme and ensuring tickets are allocated to genuine users
The railways' official notice stated that "With effect from 01-07-2025, tickets under Tatkal scheme can be booked through the website of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)/ its app only by Aadhaar authenticated users."
Additionally, from July 15, 2025, an extra layer of security will be added—passengers will be required to complete OTP verification based on Aadhaar. An OTP will be sent to the registered mobile number during booking, which must be entered to proceed.
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