Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw addressed this question on Friday, shedding light on the government's stance. Vaishnaw, said about the restoration of concessions for senior citizens and media persons, refrained from giving a direct answer. Instead, he highlighted that the Indian Railways currently provides a 55% concession on train fares for all passengers.

Before the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, senior citizens and government-accredited journalists enjoyed a 50% discount on train fares. Despite the resumption of railway operations in June 2022 after the lockdown, these concessions were not reinstated, leading to discussions on various platforms, including both houses of parliament.

Addressing the matter on Thursday, Vaishnaw explained, "If a train ticket to a destination costs Rs.100, Railway is charging only Rs.45. It is giving Rs.55 concession."

In response to an RTI application filed by Chandra Shekhar Gaur from Madhya Pradesh, Indian Railways disclosed earning approximately Rs.2,242 crore from around 15 crore senior citizens in the financial year 2022-23.

Vaishnaw, in November last year, informed Lok Sabha that the Indian Railways provided a subsidy of Rs.59,837 crore on passenger tickets in 2019-20, with this concession still in effect. He stated, "This amounts to a concession of 53% on average to every person traveling on Railways. This subsidy is continuing for all passengers."

The minister also mentioned that concessions beyond this subsidy amount persist for various categories, including four categories of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjans), 11 categories of patients, and eight categories of students. In the fiscal year 2022-23, about 18 lakh patients and their escorts availed themselves of this special concession.

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