Budget 2026: Government May Reintroduce Railway Concessions For Senior Citizens

Whether senior citizens get the railway concession benefit again is the question that has been asked since the government stopped the concessional benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, ahead of the Budget 2026, news is circulating that the government may reintroduce the benefits for the elderly. According to an India TV report, the government is considering different aspects to restore the railway concessions for senior citizens. The Finance Ministry and Railway Ministry have held discussions regarding this ahead of the Budget 2026.

If the benefits are reintroduced for seniors, such as discounted prices of tickets, etc., it will be immensely useful for the elderly, for whom travelling by trains is the first choice.

Seniors have been getting the benefits of the concessional fare for years, and this made railways a reliable mode of transport for long journeys. Before the concessions were stopped, elderly males aged 60 and above and elderly females aged 58 years and above were eligible to receive a 40 per cent and 50 per cent discount, respectively, in their train fare.

However, when train services were stopped for a short period in 2020 (pandemic year), senior citizens’ concessions were also withdrawn, citing the reason of financial pressures.

As railways remain a primary mode of transport for long distances in India, every year, demands are raised to restore the concessional benefits, but the government showed no inclination towards it.

In 2024, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that a 55 per cent concession was already being offered to all passengers on all train fares. Reportedly, at that time, the senior citizen discount cost around Rs 1600 to Rs 2000 crore annually to the government. However, since the pandemic, several new trains have been launched, fares have been hiked, but the discounted fares have not been restored.

However, in the same year, Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman allocated a higher outlay for the Integrated Development of Tourist Circuits around specific themes (Swadesh Darshan) in the same year, to boost spiritual tourism.

In a country where 78 per cent of the elderly have no pension security and may also not have any other regular source of income, a 50 per cent concession on train tickets was a huge relief. If the concessional benefits are restored, many seniors will benefit from it. Per the report, the government may officially announce something in this regard as part of the Union Budget to be presented tomorrow, February 1, 2026.