In a rare decision just a month ahead of the Budget, Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Wednesday (January 9) effected an across-the-board hike in fares of all classes from midnight of January 21 to net an additional Rs 6,600 crore a year, the first such increase in a decade. The proposals will rake in an additional, Rs 1200 crore between January 21 and March 31 this year, the minister said announcing the decision and did not rule out a hike in the freight tariff.