Train Fare Hike Row: Congress Demands an Immediate Rollback After Accusing the Center of “Surreptitiously” Increasing Rail Fares

Train Fare Hike Row: On Sunday, the Congress accused the Center of “surreptitiously” increasing train rates and said that the government is now attempting to “squeeze the already-suffering” poor rather than distributing more money from the Union Budget.

In order to prevent travelers from being burdened with increased fares, the opposition party also urged that the raise be immediately canceled.

On Sunday, the Railway Ministry declared that the cost of tickets will increase by 1 paise per km for ordinary class tickets beyond 215 km and by 2 paise per km for mail/express train non-AC classes and all train AC classes. In effect from December 26, 2025, are the new rates.

The government is “surreptitiously” boosting railway rates nationwide, according to Congress general secretary in-charge organization K C Venugopal, in yet another attempt to irritate the poor and middle classes.

“Under the Modi regime, ordinary passengers have been subjected to a hell-ride,? with overcrowded trains, stampedes on railway stations and a total lack of facilities,” he wrote in an article on X.

Venugopal said that hardly a single month passes without a train tragedy endangering the lives of passengers, pointing out that senior citizen benefits had been eliminated, “leaving the most vulnerable to suffer”.

“Instead of allocating greater funds from the Union Budget, the government is now trying to squeeze the already suffering poor of our country,” Venugopal said.

“To top it all, this Government didn’t have the courage to bring this hike while Parliament was in session – knowing fully well that it would be met with widespread opposition,” he said.

According to Venugopal, this has to be discontinued right now to prevent customers from having to pay higher rates.

According to officials, the fee rise would bring in Rs 600 crore for the railways until March 31, 2026.

“There is no increase in the monthly season tickets of suburban trains and up to 215 km travel in ordinary class of other trains,” they said.

The Railway Ministry claims that since the last tariff increase in July 2025, Rs 700 crore has been made.