Concession for senior citizens on trains not desirable: Govt

More than two years after stopping it citing Covid-related restrictions, the government on Wednesday said restarting concessions to senior citizens on train tickets “is not desirable”.

Replying to a question in Lok Sabha, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a written reply that the cost of granting concessions weighs heavily on the Railways. “…Hence, extending the scope of concessions to all categories of passengers including senior citizens is not desirable,” he said.

Ahead of the nationwide lockdown in 2020, the Railways had discontinued the up-to 50 per cent concession previously allowed to senior citizens. Officials had said it was meant to discourage non-essential travel by elders who were deemed more vulnerable to Covid.