Overview

• UCADA finalised new round‑trip fares: Guptkashi–Kedarnath Rs 12,444, Sirsi–Kedarnath Rs 8,900, and Phata–Kedarnath Rs 8,500, described as roughly 31–40% higher by most reports, with some coverage citing nearly 49%.
• Online booking through IRCTC is expected to open on September 10, with implementation tied to the restart window.
• Services are planned to resume around September 15, subject to final approval from the DGCA.
• UCADA says the fare hike will finance PTZ surveillance cameras, a modern ATC setup, advanced VHF communication sets, and laser‑based ceilometers for cloud‑ceiling readings.
• Two control rooms at Sahastradhara in Dehradun and Sirsi in Rudraprayag will each deploy 22 ground control operators for continuous monitoring.