Senior Citizen Train Ticket Concession is the question every older traveller in India asks before booking a train ticket — and it is also one of the most misunderstood topics in Indian travel. Many websites still list the old discounts as if they were live, and many elderly passengers only discover the truth at the payment screen. This guide gives you the real status in 2026: what the concession was, why it stopped, what senior citizens still get on trains, and how to check the fare you will actually pay.
Senior Citizen Train Ticket Concession at a Glance
| Point | The position in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Current status | Suspended since March 2020; NOT restored as of November 2026 |
| Who it covered before | Men aged 60 and above (40% off) and women aged 58 and above (50% off) on the basic fare |
| What still exists | Lower-berth quota for senior citizens and assistance at stations |
| Fare you pay now | The full fare shown on IRCTC at the time of booking |
| Where to check | IRCTC website or app; indianrailways.gov.in |
Senior Citizen Train Ticket Concession: The Short Answer
No, the Senior Citizen Train Ticket Concession is not available in 2026. Indian Railways suspended the senior-citizen fare concession in March 2020, and it has not been restored since. If you are a senior citizen booking a train ticket today, you will pay the full fare shown on IRCTC at the time of booking.
That is the whole answer, but it is worth understanding properly, because the wrong information is everywhere. Old blog posts, forwarded messages and even some travel agents still quote the 40% and 50% discounts as current. They are not. Any site that promises you a senior-citizen discount on Indian Railways in 2026 is out of date, and you should not plan a journey or a budget around it.
What the Senior Citizen Train Ticket Concession Used to Be
Before March 2020, the Senior Citizen Train Ticket Concession was one of the most widely used travel benefits in India. Men aged 60 years and above received a 40% concession on the basic fare, and women aged 58 years and above received a 50% concession. The discount applied to Mail and Express trains, Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto services, across most classes of travel.
The concession was simple to use. A senior citizen entered their age while booking, and the discounted fare appeared automatically. On a long journey, the saving was substantial — for example, a 50% discount could cut hundreds of rupees from a single ticket. That is why the concession is still remembered fondly, and why so many people assume it must still exist. It was also one of the reasons many older people preferred trains to buses for long-distance travel.
Why the Senior Citizen Train Ticket Concession Was Suspended
The Senior Citizen Train Ticket Concession was withdrawn in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic brought passenger services to a halt. The suspension was presented as a temporary measure for the pandemic period. But when trains returned, the concession did not.
The Railways has pointed to the cost of the concession, which ran into thousands of crores of rupees every year. Passenger fares in India are already heavily subsidised, and the Railways has argued that it cannot absorb the additional cost of restoring the discount. The issue has been raised repeatedly in Parliament and in the media, and demands to restore the concession continue — but as of the latest reports, no restoration has been announced. Readers should treat any claim that it has been restored as unverified unless it appears on the Indian Railways website or the IRCTC booking page itself.
What Senior Citizens Still Get on Trains in 2026
The fare discount is gone, but the Senior Citizen Train Ticket Concession is not the only facility for older passengers. Several other benefits still exist, and they are worth using.
First, there is a lower-berth quota for senior citizens. A number of lower berths in Sleeper and AC coaches are reserved for senior citizens, and the booking system tries to allot a lower berth to older passengers automatically. This matters most on overnight journeys, where climbing to an upper berth is difficult or unsafe for an elderly person.
Second, senior citizens get priority in allotment when berths are scarce, and they can ask for assistance at stations. Major stations offer wheelchair assistance, battery-operated vehicles and help with luggage, and the station staff can be approached for support. Third, senior citizens can use separate enquiry and booking counters where they exist. None of these replaces a fare discount, but together they make train travel more comfortable for older passengers.
How to Check the Fare You Will Actually Pay
The only reliable way to know your fare is to check it on IRCTC before you pay. Search for your train, enter the passenger details with the correct age, and read the fare shown on the payment page. If no concession is applied, the fare shown is the fare you will pay.
Do not rely on third-party sites or agents that claim to apply a senior-citizen discount. The IRCTC fare is the official fare, and it is the amount that will be charged. If you see a cheaper fare on another website, check whether it is the same train, class and date — and check the final amount, including any service charges, before you compare. Our guide to Senior Citizen Benefits in Andhra Pradesh explains the other benefits that senior citizens in the state can still claim, including the pension and health cover.
Concessions That Do Still Exist
It is important to be clear that not all railway concessions were withdrawn. The concession for Divyangjan (persons with disabilities) continues, and concessions for certain other categories — such as patients travelling for treatment and students travelling for examinations — also continue under their own rules. The full list of live concessions is published on the IRCTC and Indian Railways websites, and it is the only list that counts.
If you are a senior citizen with a disability, check the Divyangjan concession rules, which are separate from the senior-citizen concession and still apply. You will need the relevant certificate when booking and while travelling. For most senior citizens, though, the honest position is that the fare concession is gone and the remaining benefits are the berth quota and station facilities described above.
How to Book a Lower Berth as a Senior Citizen on IRCTC
Booking a lower berth is the most useful practical step a senior citizen can take. On the IRCTC website or app, search for your train and add the passenger with their correct age. Under berth preference, choose Lower Berth. The system will try to allot a lower berth from the senior-citizen quota where one is available.
If a lower berth is not available at the time of booking, try a different train or a different date, and book early — lower berths are limited and go quickly on popular routes. At the station, you can also approach the ticket examiner or the station master for help with berth changes, though this depends on availability. For longer journeys, also consider the 104 health helpline in Andhra Pradesh for medical advice while travelling, and keep the details of your NTR Bharosa pension delivery safe so that a missed payment while you are away does not cause worry.
What About Bus Travel in Andhra Pradesh?
Train and bus concessions are separate, and what applies to one does not apply to the other. For bus travel in Andhra Pradesh, there is no verified statewide senior-citizen concession that this guide can promise. Confirm the current concession at your nearest APSRTC depot or on the APSRTC portal before you travel.
If a bus or train concession is restored in future, the announcement will appear first on the official portals — IRCTC, Indian Railways or APSRTC — not in forwarded messages. Until then, the safest approach is to budget for the full fare and treat any discount as a bonus, not a plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Senior Citizen Train Ticket Concession available in 2026?
No. The Senior Citizen Train Ticket Concession was suspended in March 2020 and has not been restored as of November 2026. Senior citizens pay the full fare shown on IRCTC at booking.
What was the discount before it was suspended?
Before March 2020, men aged 60 and above received a 40% concession and women aged 58 and above received a 50% concession on the basic fare of most trains.
Do senior citizens get lower berths on trains?
Yes. A lower-berth quota for senior citizens still exists in Sleeper and AC coaches. Choose Lower Berth as your berth preference on IRCTC, and book early for the best chance of getting one.
Has the government announced a date to restore the concession?
No restoration date has been announced as of the latest reports. Demands to restore the Senior Citizen Train Ticket Concession continue to be raised, but readers should check IRCTC or Indian Railways for any official announcement.
Are there any train concessions senior citizens can still use?
The senior-citizen fare concession itself is gone, but separate concessions — such as the Divyangjan concession for persons with disabilities — continue. Check the live concessions list on IRCTC or Indian Railways to see what applies to you.
The Senior Citizen Train Ticket Concession was a valuable benefit, and its absence is felt on every long journey. For now, the practical approach is to budget for the full fare, book a lower berth early, and check the official portals before believing any claim that the discount has returned. For the wider picture of benefits available in the state, see our roundup of AP government schemes in November 2026, and if a scheme payment ever goes missing, our guide on how to raise a grievance on the NBM portal explains the steps.
Last updated: November 2026