80% discount on Rail ticket — take benefits in this way

Indian Railways has many rules and initiatives, which perhaps we don’t know fully. Like the facility to get a massive discount on ticket. Do you know that the Indian Railway provides discount on ticket price?

Why the initiative has taken?

This government move was taken to address rising costs and the convenience of senior citizens. In recent years, following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Railways temporarily suspended senior citizen concessions. During that time, passengers were burdened with the full fare burden, causing significant hardship for the elderly.

But now the Indian Railway Ministry has decided to revive this scheme to make travel more affordable for senior citizens. This decision has been implemented under the Indian Railways’ “Senior Citizen Ticket Concession Scheme 2025.” Through this scheme, the Railways aims to restore the convenience available to senior passengers prior to 2020. Indian Railways has reintroduced the Senior Citizen Fare Concession Scheme from June 1, 2025. As per the new policy, men aged 60 years and above will get a 40% discount on train tickets, while women aged 58 years and above will get up to 50% discount.

This discount will apply to all reserved classes—sleeper, second AC (2AC), third AC (3AC), and chair car . This facility will be offered specifically for long-distance and express trains to facilitate senior citizens’ travel and provide financial relief. Discounts of up to 80% are also available for certain social welfare trains, such as pilgrimage special trains, which are fully government-funded.

How to take the benefits?

To take advantage of this scheme, male passengers must be at least 60 years old, and female passengers must be 58 years or older. Proof of age, such as a copy of your Aadhaar card or a government-issued ID, is mandatory when booking tickets. This discount will be available on all ticket bookings—whether online through the IRCTC website or at railway station reservation counters. However, this benefit will not apply to Tatkal tickets and premium trains such as Vande Bharat, Rajdhani, or Duronto.