Title - Option for senior citizen ticket concession to opt or not on train tickets

Senior citizens will soon have an option to avail either to avail full concession to on train tickets or half of it. Trying to reduce 1300 crore rupees burden of subsidy railway is trying to work on different ways and this new system will be operational soon once software upgrade will be done.

43 percent of the cost of train fare has become a burden for Indian Railways as it is reeling under Rs 30,000 crore a year in subsidising passenger fares. Out of total loss Rs 1600 crore is of concessional fares.

According to a senior Railway Ministry Official, “The total amount of concessions given in the senior citizen category is about Rs 1,300 crore a year.”

As per current structure, women get 50 percent concession on the total fare and male senior citizens get 40 percent.

Railways spokesperson Anil Saxena though clarified that there is no move to appeal to general passengers to forego subsidy in passenger fares on the lines of the 'Give It Up' campaign targeted at LPG consumers but reports suggests that such campaign may be undertaken within few months.