Budget 2026: Indian Railways is going to increase its fares from December 26. As a result, senior citizens’ expectations from the Union Budget 2026-27 have risen. Although life has returned to normal after the COVID pandemic, a major relief for senior citizens has not yet been restored.
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Budget 2026: Indian Railways is set to increase fares from December 26th. Senior citizens’ expectations have risen from the Union Budget 2026-27. Although life has returned to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant relief for senior citizens has yet to return. Senior passengers across the country have once again demanded the reinstatement of the old discount on railway tickets. They say that traveling at this age is both necessary and expensive due to reduced income. Therefore, the fare concession is a significant relief for them.
Railway Fare Increase
Indian Railways is implementing a slight increase in ticket fares from December 26th, 2025, which is expected to generate additional revenue of approximately ₹600 crore. The new fares will apply only to journeys exceeding 215 kilometers. The increase will be 1 paisa per kilometer in the general category and 2 paisa per kilometer in the non-AC and AC categories of mail and express trains.
Senior citizens used to get train tickets at half the price.
Before COVID, the Indian Railways offered significant discounts on train tickets to senior citizens. Until 2019, men aged 60 and above received a 40 percent discount, and women aged 58 and above received a 50 percent discount. This discount was applicable on major trains like Mail, Express, Rajdhani, Shatabdi, and Duronto. For example, if a Rajdhani Express first AC ticket cost ₹4,000, a senior citizen could get the same ticket for approximately ₹2,000 to ₹2,300. This made long-distance travel affordable.
Benefit discontinued during COVID
However, in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government temporarily discontinued this discount on railway tickets. The reasons cited at the time were low passenger numbers and the railway’s financial situation. But now that the pandemic is over and trains are back to their usual crowds, this facility has not been reinstated, a point that senior citizens are expressing their displeasure over.
Senior Citizens’ Demands from the Budget
Elderly travelers say that their income becomes limited after retirement. Many rely on pensions or savings. In these circumstances, railway discounts used to be a significant relief amid rising fares. They often travel, especially for medical treatment, religious pilgrimages, or to visit their children, which has now become more expensive than before.
All eyes are now on Budget 2026. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the country’s general budget on February 1, 2026. Senior citizens hope that the government will take their long-standing demand seriously and reinstate the railway ticket discount system. If this happens, it will directly benefit millions of elderly travelers. Now, it remains to be seen whether Budget 2026 brings them relief.
