Budget 2026 May Bring Up to 50% Train Ticket Discount for Indian Senior Citizens

Senior citizens in India may see up to 50% discount on train tickets in the Union Budget 2026-27, offering financial relief as rail fares rise.

Pune| December 24,2025: As Indian Railways prepares a modest fare increase from December 26, 2025, senior citizens across the country are pinning their hopes on the upcoming Union Budget 2026-27 for a significant concession on train travel costs. The proposed relief could see elderly passengers enjoy up to 50% discount on train tickets, reviving a benefit that was widely available before the COVID-19 pandemic but was discontinued in the years following. The railway fare hike, expected to generate around ₹600 crore in additional revenue, applies primarily to journeys exceeding 215 kilometres in long-distance mail and express services, making travel more expensive for many regular passengers. Against this backdrop, senior citizens, whose travel often includes essential trips for medical appointments, religious journeys, or visits to family, have renewed their demand for reinstating railway concessions that once made long-distance journeys more affordable. Before being paused during the pandemic in 2020, Indian Railways offered substantial age-based discounts: men aged 60 and above received around 40% off basic fares, while women aged 58 and above enjoyed about 50% off, applicable on a wide range of services including Mail, Express, Rajdhani, Shatabdi, and Duronto trains.

Reinstating such concessions could translate into meaningful savings, especially on higher-class travel, where a Rajdhani Express first-AC ticket costing ₹4,000 could have dropped to roughly ₹2,000 for eligible senior citizens. With life returning to normalcy and train occupancy rebounding, senior travelers and advocacy groups are urging the government to consider their long-standing request in the national budget, arguing that rising living costs and limited incomes post-retirement make affordable travel a necessity rather than a luxury. Both men and women retirees depend on pensions and savings, and without concessions, the financial burden of travel has grown, particularly for those who travel frequently for healthcare or family commitments. All eyes are now on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who is scheduled to present the Union Budget on February 1, 2026. If the proposed discounts are adopted, they could directly benefit millions of senior citizens across India, restoring a sense of fairness in railway pricing for a demographic group that contributes to social and cultural life throughout the country. Experts tracking public finance and transport policy note that while the Indian Railways continues to subsidize passenger travel broadly, targeted concessions like age-based discounts play a significant role in ensuring inclusive access to mobility, especially for vulnerable populations. Alongside concessions, there have been broader discussions in Parliament about fare structures and subsidies, with officials noting that average ticket subsidies for all passengers run into tens of thousands of crores annually, even as specific discounts remain under review. If included in Budget 2026-27, the restoration of senior citizen concessions would mark a welcome policy shift, aligning railway pricing with the social needs of an ageing population and acknowledging the financial constraints faced by many retirees. For now, senior citizens and their families await the budget announcement, hopeful that it will bring a tangible measure of relief and make rail travel more accessible once again.

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