Metro commuters in Delhi will have to pay more for their daily rides starting Monday, as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced its first fare hike in eight years. The increase, effective August 25, 2025, ranges from Rs 1 to Rs 4 depending on the distance of travel, and up to Rs 5 on the Airport Express Line. In the financial year 2023-24, the DMRC incurred a loss before tax of Rs 1,781.69 crore.
In the following year, 2024-25, the losses are projected to be around Rs 1,598 crore, as per a Delhi Metro official. “The latest fare increase is minimal and will only provide limited relief.
The additional revenue, however, will help the DMRC sustain its operational standards by ensuring timely maintenance of trains and infrastructure, much of which is now ageing,” the official added.
According to the new structure, the minimum fare has increased from Rs 10 to Rs 11 for journeys of up to 2km, while the maximum fare for trips beyond 32km has risen from Rs 60 to Rs 64. For the 12km-21km slab, fares now stand at Rs 43, compared to Rs 40 previously, and for the 21km-32km slab, the fare has been increased to Rs 54 from Rs 50. The new rates apply on Sundays and national holidays as well. On these days, a journey beyond 32km will now cost Rs 54 instead of Rs 50, while travel in the 12km-21km range has been revised from Rs 30 to Rs 32, the DMRC said in a statement. A similar revision, with an increase of up to Rs 5, has also been introduced on the Airport Express Line, it stated. The revision has been carried out on the recommendation of the 4th Fare Fixation Committee and approved by the corporation’s Board of Directors.
Calling the hike “minimal”, the DMRC emphasised it was necessary to balance the rising operational expenses. “The reason to increase the fare are losses during the COVID-19 pademic, repayment commitments to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the need for midlife refurbishment of trains, upkeep of infrastructure and salaries of staff as major financial pressures,” officials said.
Delhi Metro fares were earlier revised in 2004, 2005, 2009 and twice in 2017 (May and October). Despite the latest increase, the Delhi Metro maintained that its fares remain among the lowest worldwide.
Passengers using smart cards will continue to get a 10 per cent discount on every journey, with an additional 10 per cent discount available during off-peak hours before 8 am, between 12 pm and 5 pm and after 9 pm, it added.
As per the data available on the websites of the metros, a trip in the Bengaluru Metro costs Rs 10-90 depending on the distance travelled, as against Rs 11-64 in the Delhi Metro and Rs 10-60 in Mumbai, according to data from the websites of these metro networks. A metro ride in Kolkata (Rs 5-25) is the cheapest, followed by Jaipur (Rs 6-23) which is not too far behind.
At Rs 11 for 2km, Delhi Metro’s minimum fare is the highest in the country, but that reduces to Rs 9 for 2km if the commuter is using a smart card. A smart-card user continues to get a 10% discount, irrespective of the distance travelled, as well as extra 10% off for travel during off-peak hours.