RAILWAY FARES NOT A TRADE SECRET: ASHWINI VAISHNAW

New Delhi, Mar 12, 2026 : The Indian Railways does not treat passenger ticket fares as a trade secret and ensures that fare-related information is publicly available, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

In a written reply, the minister said details of railway fares are widely published and displayed on passenger tickets, fare tables, computerised ticketing systems and digital platforms such as the RailOne application. Any revisions or rationalisation of passenger fares are also made public.

Rs.60,239 crore subsidy on passenger travel:

The minister said Indian Railways provided a subsidy of ?60,239 crore on passenger tickets in 2024–25, which translates to an average concession of about 43 per cent for every passenger.

“In other words, if the cost of providing service is ?100, the ticket price is around ?57,” the minister said, adding that the subsidy continues to benefit all passengers.

Beyond this general subsidy, additional concessions are offered to specific categories, including four categories of persons with disabilities, 11 categories of patients and eight categories of students.

Transparent fare structure:

According to the ministry, various components of ticket pricing – such as base fare, reservation charge, superfast charge and GST – are clearly displayed on passenger tickets and made available through both physical and digital fare charts.

Passenger fares are determined by considering factors such as cost of service, affordability for passengers and competition from other modes of transport, the minister said.

Affordable fares for Vande Bharat Sleeper:

The ministry also highlighted the fare structure of the Vande Bharat Sleeper service, the first of which – Howrah-Kamakhya Vande Bharat Sleeper Express – was launched on January 22, 2026.

The fare for the train is calculated on a per passenger-per kilometre basis, with the 3AC class costing about ?2.40 per kilometre excluding GST. For a journey of 1,000 kilometres, the indicative fare is about ?2,400.

The ministry said the fare for Vande Bharat Sleeper trains ranges between ?2.40 and ?3.80 per passenger kilometre, significantly lower than similar services in countries such as China, Japan and France, where fares typically range between ?7 and ?20 per passenger kilometre.

Passenger-friendly facilities:

Indian Railways has also introduced several measures to improve convenience for passengers, particularly senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

These include automatic allocation of lower berths to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, women aged 45 years and above, and pregnant women, subject to availability.

Railways also earmark six to seven lower berths in Sleeper class, four to five in 3AC and three to four in 2AC coaches for these categories. Dedicated quotas are also provided for persons with disabilities and their attendants in various train classes.

Modern features in Vande Bharat Sleeper trains:

The new Vande Bharat Sleeper trains feature modern coaches equipped with advanced safety and passenger amenities, including jerk-free semi-permanent couplers, CCTV cameras in all coaches, sealed gangways, improved fire safety systems, emergency communication units and the indigenous Kavach train protection system.

The ministry said the introduction of new services, including Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, will continue based on factors such as route capacity, infrastructure availability, passenger demand and rolling stock availability, while ensuring affordable travel options for all sections of society.