Passenger fares will rise from July — 2 paise/km for AC class, 1 paisa/km for sleeper, and 0.5 paisa/km for second class
Suburban fares stay the same
The hike adds ₹700 crore to the books — barely a dent in the ₹92,800 crore revenue target
Freight cross-subsidises passengers but is losing ground to road transport
Coal reliance adds risk
Most revenue funds salaries and pensions, leaving little for upgrades or safety
Operating ratio: 98%
Congested routes and low speeds deter high-value freight
Corridors help, but progress is slow
Without clear commercial-social goals, the railways can’t modernise
Fare tweaks alone won’t be enough