Indian Railways Earned Rs 1500 Crore By Stopping Concessions For Senior Citizens: Is It Worth It?

Until before the Covid-19 pandemic struck in India in 2020, the national transporter Indian Railways gave a certain kind of concession to senior citizens. 

This type of concession in train ticket fees was eligible for females of 58 years and above, and males of 60 years and above.

However, since the deadly pandemic struck, the Indian Railways have stripped away the senior citizen concession from March 2020.

According to the Railways, during the two years, from March 2020 to March 2022, it has generated an additional revenue of more than Rs 1,500 crore from senior citizen travellers.

More details can be found further in the article.

Indian Railways Generates Over Rs 1,500 Crore Revenue in 2 Years

The national transporter provides about 53 different types of concessions to different groups of passengers travelling through trains all across the country.

One such type is provided to senior citizens, of females aged 58 years and above, males aged 60 years and more.

While males and transgenders can enjoy a discount of 40% on tickets of all classes, female travelers can enjoy a 50% concession. 

This senior citizen concession accounts to nearly 80% of the total discounts given by Indian Railways, with the latter having to bear about Rs 2,000 crore every year due to all of such concessions.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic has started in India, the Railways has suspended its senior citizens concession, and as per a RTI response by the organization, it has generated an additional revenue of more than Rs 1,500 crore.

According to the information provided by Railways, the concessions were not offered to 7.31 crore senior citizen travellers, of which 4.46 crore were males over 60 years of age, 2.84 crore females over 58, and 8,310 transgenders, cited PTI report(s).

‘The total revenue from senior citizen travellers during the period is Rs 3,464 crore, which includes an additional Rs 1,500 crore earned due to the suspension of the concession’, stated the RTI response.