New Delhi, Dec 11 || The government has informed that freight loading increased from 1,233 million tonnes (MT) in 2020-21 to 1,617 MT in 2024-25, making Indian Railways second largest freight carrying Railways in the world.
To keep the freight rate competitive, the freight rates have not been revised since 2018 despite increase in input cost over the years, according to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
“Passenger fares have been rationalised from July 1, 2025 after a gap of more than 5 years. The increase in fares is very low, ranging from half paise per km to two paise per km for premium classes,” said Vaishnaw in replies to questions in Lok Sabha.
Among key measures for affordable passenger fares are no increase in general class up to 500 km and, thereafter, half paisa increase in fare per passenger per km; half paisa increase in fare per passenger per km in Sleeper Class Ordinary and First-Class Ordinary; 01 paisa increase per passenger per km in Non-AC classes in Mail Express; and 02 paisa increase per passenger per km in reserved AC-Classes.
To maintain affordability for low and middle income families, the fares for MST (Monthly Season Ticket) and Suburban travel have not been revised, the minister informed.