Budget 2024: Railways play a very important role for the country. Railways is one of the most economical means of transport. Now the Modi government is going to present the budget soon.
The central government has seen a lot of focus on Indian Railways. In such a situation, it is expected that the central government can increase the allocation of railways. Now it has to be seen whether the government fulfills the long pending demand of senior citizens in the budget or not? Senior citizens used to get 50 percent discount on railway tickets before Kovid, but it was stopped during Kovid. Will the Modi government, which has come to power for the third time, announce 50 percent discount on train tickets to senior citizens again?
Senior citizens used to get 50% discount on train tickets till the end of 2019
IRCTC used to offer concessional fares on train tickets of Duronto, Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi, Rajdhani, Mail and Express trains to senior citizens above 60 years of age and female senior citizens above 58 years of age until the end of 2019. While male senior citizens were eligible for a 40 percent concession, female senior citizens could avail a 50 percent discount on train tickets. IRCTC then offered concessional fares for senior citizens in all categories of special express trains.
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Will senior citizens get discount on train tickets again?
Till the end of 2019, senior citizens were getting 40 to 50 percent discount on the price of train tickets. If the first AC ticket of Rajdhani is Rs 4,000, then senior citizens used to get it for Rs 2,000 or Rs 2,300. Then in the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, Covid spread across the country and the whole world, after which this service stopped being available on IRCTC’s ticket booking window. Now senior citizens are demanding that they will get this special discount again in the budget. It is believed that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman can make an announcement about this in the budget.
