Budget 2026 – Senior Citizens to Get a Gift in Budget! Train Ticket Booking Discount to be Restored
Budget 2026: The Modi government at the centre is set to present the second full budget of its third term on February 1, 2026. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Budget 2026, and everyone is eagerly awaiting major announcements. Farmers, unemployed youth, taxpayers, and senior citizens all have high expectations.
This is why people are calling it a budget of hope. According to sources, the general budget may reinstate the discount on railway ticket bookings. Sources indicate that the Ministry of Railways has already sent a proposal regarding this.
The revision was not discussed in the pre-budget meeting, so no final decision has been made yet. Nevertheless, people are hopeful of receiving this significant relief in the budget.
Discount on Ticket Bookings Before COVID-19
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Indian Railways offered up to a 50 per cent discount on train tickets for senior citizens. Under this scheme, male passengers aged 60 years or older received a 40 per cent discount on fares, while female passengers aged 58 years or older received a 5 per cent discount.
This discount for senior ccitizens appliesto all classes, including Sleeper, Third AC, Second AC, and First AC. Passengers only needed to enter their age while booking tickets; the discount was applied automatically. Senior citizens did not have to follow any separate process. Importantly, this facility was available to senior citizens for both online tickets booked through IRCTC and tickets purchased at railway counters.
Senior Citizens Faced a Setback in 2020
In March 2020, the Indian Railways system was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prioritising public health, the Indian government completely suspended train operations. This resulted in losses of thousands of crores of rupees for Indian Railways. During this time, the railways decided to temporarily suspend the senior citizen concession.
The railways argued at the time that it was already operating at a loss due to subsidies. According to a report, providing ticket booking concessions to senior citizens costs the railways between ₹1600 and ₹2000 crore annually. While the railways resumed full operations after the COVID-19 pandemic, the concessions for senior citizens were not reinstated.
Senior Citizens Continue to Demand Concessions
It’s worth noting that elderly train passengers have been continuously demanding these concessions on ticket bookings. This is because, in old age, people’s income becomes limited, making it difficult to manage expenses.
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Many elderly people depend on others for their livelihood. Government employees receive pensions, whichhelps them cover their expenses. If the government includes this provision in the budget, it would be considered very good news.
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