Indian Railways: Concessions and Facilities for Senior Citizens
Like other countries, India too has various benefits that can be availed by senior citizens for travelling via train. This philanthropic step of Indian Railways has helped them in travelling with a minimum price subject to some conditions. It reduces the financial burden of senior citizens, especially during retirement. They can avail a host of benefits by railways that add to their convenience making their budget economical and pocket-friendly. Booking of rail tickets via senior citizen quota has also a specific 10 digit PNR number. One can also check PNR status online via Railmitra App for being updated about their booking status and seating allotment.
- Deduction in tax
- Travel concessions in Rail, Airways & Buses
- Special Schemes
Today, travelling via Indian Railways is not just a need but passengers’ are also inclined towards luxury. It gives many facilities to travellers. The steps towards digitisation had made the journey easier. Our Indian Railways attract travellers by providing various facilities like a concession on tickets, seat preferences, quotas etc. Some of the useful facilities in terms of Quota provided to passengers’ are:
- Lower berth quota
- Ladies quota
- Senior citizen quota
- Handicapped quota
- Tatkal quota
- Premium Tatkal quota
- Journalist Concession
As per the Indian Railways, male senior citizens above 60 years of age and female senior citizens of 58 years and above can get concession in the fares while booking a ticket in Indian Railways. Male senior citizens are eligible to get a concession of 40% of the fare while female senior citizens can avail of a discount of 50% on the train tickets. Four lower berths of sleeper class and AC compartments are reserved for senior citizens and pregnant ladies.
Recommended Read:Indian Railways: Concessions for Patient traveling in Train
Process for Availing Concession
The process for availing of concession for senior citizen is easy. If you’re a senior citizen, then you can get a concession on a train ticket while booking via PRS counter or the IRCTC official ticket booking website. Enter your correct age in the given box and tick mark on the option under the senior citizen quota to get a concession. Once your form is duly filed correctly, the fare with concession is displayed on the screen. It is mandatory to carry a valid ID proof of age during their journey.
If the berth preference is lower, then you will get a confirmed lower berth because Indian Railways had reserved three lower berths in each coach of the Sleeper class and AC compartments for senior citizens and pregnant ladies. If you don’t want or need to take concessions, you can contribute towards National Development by paying full fare charges. According to the IRCTC website, passengers in the senior citizen’s category can forbid to avail concession quota or senior citizen quota by selecting on “forgo full concession” or unmarked on the “senior citizen quota” section in the details form.
Forgo Senior Citizen Concession:
Senior Citizen Passengers who wish to opt-out of the concession fully or some part and contribute towards the Nation’s economic development may book their tickets without the concession element. It is a step towards the development of our nation.
Some other rules pertaining to Senor Citizen Quota are:
Separate counters are earmarked at various Passenger Reservation System(PRS) centres for dealing with the reservation requisitions received from Physically persons with disability, Senior Citizens, Ex. MPs, MLAs, accredited journalists and freedom fighters if the average demand per shift not less than 120 tickets. In case there is no justification for earmarking of an exclusive counter for any of these categories of persons including persons with disability or senior citizens, one or two counters depending upon the total demand are earmarked for dealing with the reservation requests for all these categories of persons.
After the departure of the train, if there are vacant lower berths available in the train and if any physical person with disability booked on the authority of handicapped concession or a senior citizen or a pregnant woman, who has been allotted upper/middle berth, approaches for allotment of vacant lower berths, the onboard Ticket Checking Staff has been authorized to allot the vacant lower berth to them making necessary entries in the chart.
Zonal Railways have also been advised to provide free of cost ‘Battery Operated Vehicles for Disabled and Old Aged Passengers’ at Railway Stations. In addition, passenger can book e-wheel chairs online through the IRCTC portal www.irctc.co.in.
A special quota for senior citizens is an initiative to comfort the aged one during their train journey. Various facilities are added to serve them and Indian Railways takes the possible responsibility to reach them to their destination.