The Indian Railway has announced marginal hike in passenger fares for long distance trains which will start from 1st July, 2025.
The revised fare structure will affect both AC and Non AC mail and Express services, while suburban and short-distance journeys will remain unaffected.
According to reports, the Non AC Mail and Express Train will increase by 1 Paisa per Kilometer, whereas AC classes will increase by 2 Paisa per Kilometer.
For Ordinary Second Class travel, fares will remain unchanged for distances up to 500 kilometers. However, for journeys beyond this ranges the passengers will have to pay an additional 0.5 paise per kilometre.
Importantly, suburban train fares and monthly season tickets (MSTs) will not see any changes.
Aadhar Authentication Mandatory for Tatkal Indian Railway Tickets
To Stop the misuse of the Tatkal ticket booking system, the Ministry of Railways has announced that Aadhaar authentication will be mandatory for all Tatkal ticket bookings made via the IRCTC website or mobile app, effective July 1, 2025.
As per an official directive issued on June 10, only users with Aadhaar-linked profiles will be allowed to book Tatkal tickets online.
Furthermore, starting July 15, 2025, an OTP-based verification system will be introduced. At the time of booking, an OTP (One-Time Password) will be sent to the mobile number registered with Aadhaar. Passengers will need to enter this OTP to complete their booking.
