Delhi Metro fares revised after 8-year gap, minimal hike of Rs 1 to Rs 4

After a gap of almost eight years, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has revised the passenger fares with effect from Monday.

“The increase has been minimal, ranging from Rs 1 to Rs 4, depending on the distance of travel,” a DMRC spokesperson said.

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A similar increase has also been implemented for the Airport Express Line where the increase ranges from Rs 1 to Rs 5.

According to the DMRC, the base fare to travel in the Delhi metro has been hiked from Rs 10 to Rs 11.

The 4th Fare Fixation Committee had recommended a revision of the fares through an automatic fare revision formula. This revision has now been done in line with the statutory provisions and recommendations of the 4th FFC, as per a decision taken by the Board of Directors of DMRC.

The new fare structure reflects changes across all distance slabs. Passengers travelling short distances between 0 and 2 kilometres will now pay Rs 11, while those covering the longest distances, beyond 32 kilometres, will pay Rs 64, up from the previous maximum fare of Rs 60. Before this hike, the minimum fare was Rs 10.

The revised fare slabs are now in effect across the metro network, which spans over 390 kilometres and serves more than 285 stations across Delhi and the National Capital Region.

“The revised fare for a distance travelled between 0-2 km is Rs 11 as compared to existing Rs 10, for 2-5 km the revised fare is Rs 21, for 5-12 km is Rs 32, for 12-21 km is Rs 43, for 21-32 km is Rs 54 and for a distance more than 32 km, the revised fare stands at Rs 64,” the spokesperson said.

On national holidays and Sundays, the revised fare for 0-5 km is Rs 11 in contrast to the existing Rs 10, for 5-12 km it is Rs 21, for 12-21 km is Rs 32, for 21-32 km is Rs 43 and for more than 32 km the fare is now Rs 54.

The spokesperson further said that a 10 percent discount on every journey and an extra 10 per cent discount during off-peak hours (typically before 8 AM, 12 to 5 PM and after 9 PM) travel via smart card will continue to remain available as usual.

Meanwhile, several passengers who belong to the middle class families have expressed concern about the revised fare hike and mentioned the rising cost of living.

Talking to The Statesman, Priyanka said, “Middle-class families will face difficulty now while travelling as they cannot afford the hike in metro fares. However, some will manage, but for some it will be difficult. I believe that the fares should not be hiked as the middle class families can find it difficult.”

Aman, a college student, said, “I also belong to a middle class family. Now after the metro fare hike, I have to pay more now to reach my college.”

The base price for travelling in Delhi Metro was raised from Rs 8 to 10 back in 2017, with the maximum rate beyond 32 km hiked to Rs 50.

“In the last few years, DMRC has been facing considerable financial challenges. The losses incurred during the COVID period and the loan repayment commitments to JICA have posed a grave challenge to DMRC’s resources,” the spokesperson said.

The need for midlife refurbishment of the Delhi Metro trains, civil assets, and machinery, the expenditure on general upkeep of the network, and salaries to the human resources have also continued during this period.

“Without any increase in passenger fares in the last eight years, the financial condition of the corporation was in considerable strain. Taking all this into consideration, the fare revision, ranging from Rs 1 to Rs 4, has now been implemented,” the spokesperson further said.

The Delhi Metro fares were first revised in 2004, while the second revision came into effect in 2005, and the third revision was done in 2009, followed by two revisions in May and October 2017. The Delhi Metro fares continue to be among the lowest worldwide.

Earlier in a post on X, the DMRC said, “The passenger fares of the Delhi Metro services have been revised with effect from today, that is, 25th August 2025 (Monday) onwards. The increase is minimal, ranging from ₹ 1 to ₹ 4 only depending on the distance of travel (upto ₹5 for the Airport Express Line).”