Indian Railways to hike fares, enforce major changes in Tatkal booking from July 2025: Check details

Starting July 1, 2025, Indian Railways will implement a marginal hike in passenger fares, the first in several years. While the increase may appear minimal on paper, it marks a shift in pricing strategy as the railway network simultaneously rolls out stricter Aadhaar-based rules for Tatkal bookings, impacting millions of travellers.

Fares for non-AC Mail and Express trains will rise by 1 paise per kilometre, while AC classes will see an increase of 2 paise per kilometre, according to a report by the Times of India. The revised rates take effect from July 1, 2025.

Certain segments will remain unaffected. There will be no fare hike for suburban passengers and no change in second-class tickets for journeys up to 500 km. For distances beyond 500 km, the fare will rise by half a paise per kilometre. Additionally, monthly season tickets will remain unchanged, offering some relief to daily commuters.

This fare revision comes alongside a significant digital update: from July 1, only Aadhaar-authenticated users will be able to book Tatkal tickets on the IRCTC website or app. The Railway Ministry stated that the move is aimed at ensuring that “the benefits of the Tatkal Scheme are received by the common end users.”

Further tightening the process, from July 15, an OTP-based Aadhaar verification step will be added during Tatkal bookings.

The Railways has also imposed restrictions on authorised booking agents. These agents can no longer book Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of the booking window:

– 10:00 am to 10:30 am for AC class

– 11:00 am to 11:30 am for non-AC class

To support the rollout, the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) and IRCTC have been instructed to make the necessary system changes and ensure timely communication to zonal railway divisions.