Indian Railways Hikes Fares Again: Third Increase in 5 Years, Travel Gets Costlier

• Indian Railways announced its third fare hike in 5 years, making train travel more expensive across all classes from sleeper to AC.
• New increased fares will be effective from December 26, 2025, impacting long-distance journeys nationwide.
• General category fares increase by 1 paisa/km for distances over 215 km; Mail/Express sleeper and AC classes see a 2 paise/km hike.
• Routes like Bhopal to Indore/Jabalpur will see a ₹5-₹6 increase, while Bhopal to Rewa fares will rise by ₹10-₹15.
• Students like Saurabh Deshmukh and Ashish Singh express concern over the increased financial burden on common people and students.

Why It Matters: Indian Railways' third fare hike in 5 years will make train travel costlier for common people and students.