Restore senior citizens’ concessions: Karti Chidambaram to Railway Minister Vaishnaw

Previously, men above 60 years of age and women above 58 years received a concession of 40 percent and 50 percent, respectively, he pointed out and added that since its withdrawal, senior citizens have had to pay full fare.

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Notes committee report

He pointed out that in August 2022, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways recommended that “the concessions granted to different categories of passengers should be considered judiciously”.

The committee urged that the senior citizens’ concession be reviewed and reinstated, at least in Sleeper Class and third AC, to help vulnerable and genuinely needy senior citizens, Chidambaram said in his letter to Vaishnaw.

“In a Rajya Sabha response on 28 July, 2023, you mentioned that ‘the Government provided a subsidy of ₹59,837 crore on passenger tickets in 2019-20, amounting to a 53 percent concession on average for every passenger’.

“However, the withdrawal of the senior citizens’ concession indicates that the overall concessions provided before Covid-19 were more generous than the current average of 53 percent,” Chidambaram said.

Based on several RTI applications, it has been noted that the Indian Railways has earned over ₹5,800 crore from the withdrawal of senior citizen concessions between 20 March, 2020, and 31 January, 2024, he said.

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‘Crucial to restore concessions’

Given the vast scale of Indian Railways as the largest rail network in Asia and the second largest in the world, it is crucial to restore these concessions for senior citizens, the Congress leader argued.

“Additionally, I would like to draw your attention to a recent incident reported in the media. On 11 June, 2024, many passengers were unable to board the Chennai Central-Howrah Superfast Mail in Chennai after ticketless individuals allegedly occupied reserved compartments,” he said.

“Railway staff admitted that it is challenging to check every passenger for a confirmed ticket. Consequently, several passengers were stranded at the station without accommodation or alternative travel options. This incident is not isolated, as social media is rife with complaints about overcrowding by ticketless passengers, even on premium services like the Vande Bharat Express,” Chidambaram said.

He called for Vaishnaw’s personal intervention and swift action to restore senior citizens’ concessions and address safety concerns related to ticketless passengers, ensuring the well-being of millions of Indians who rely on railways for their daily commute.

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