Concession for senior citizens on trains not desirable: Govt

After discontinuing it for more than two years due to Covid-related limitations, the government declared on Wednesday that resuming senior citizen rail ticket discounts “is not desirable.”

The expense of granting concessions weighs heavily on the Railways, according to a written response from Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in response to a question in the Lok Sabha. Accordingly, it is not appropriate to expand the scope of concessions to all passenger categories, including senior folks, he stated.

The Railways had stopped offering the previous senior citizen discount of up to 50% prior to the 2020 national blackout. According to officials, it was designed to deter elderly travellers who were thought to be more susceptible to Covid from making unnecessary trips. The minister stated that the Railways would not reinstate the incentives it had previously offered to athletes.

According to data provided by Vaishnaw, the Railways lost Rs 1,667 crore in revenue in 2019–20 as a result of concessions made to older citizens. “These (financial losses owing to concessions) have long-term impact on the financial health of the Railways,” Vaishnaw added.

In support of their choice, the government said that in 2019–20, almost 22 lakh senior citizens had opted out of discounted travel.

Additionally, the administration assured Lok Sabha that train prices for the majority of classes were “extremely inexpensive” and that, on average, all passengers pay 50% of the cost of transportation through the Railways.

In addition, the written response stated that different classes, including first and second class air conditioning, third class air conditioning, AC chair cars, sleeper class, second class reserved/unreserved, etc., were available on various fare structures for use by passengers, including senior citizens, who could travel according to their preferences.

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