New Delhi, February 11 Responding to questions raised by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi seeking reasons for not restoring concessions for senior citizens on trains, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that every passenger traveling on Indian Railways receives an average concession of 45%.
“Indian Railways provided a subsidy of ₹60,466 crore on passenger tickets in 2023-24. This amounts to an average concession of 45% for every person traveling on Railways,” Vaishnaw said in a written reply.
He added, “In other words, if the cost of providing the service is ₹100, then the price of the ticket is only ₹55. This subsidy is being provided to all passengers. Furthermore, concessions exceeding this amount are also being provided to various categories, including four categories of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjans), 11 categories of patients, and 8 categories of students.”
Vaishnaw’s response came in response to Gandhi’s question regarding “reasons for not restoring senior citizen concessions that were discontinued during the Covid pandemic, despite the full resumption of passenger services.”
He also wanted to know the minister’s response to the 13% decrease in ridership on Indian Railways over the last 10 years, while the population has increased by approximately 10% during the same period.
Vaishnaw provided data on the growth in passenger ridership in 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25, and said that overall, passenger patronage of Indian Railways is showing a steady and rapid growth trend, with consistent increases recorded.
According to the data, 2022-23 recorded 82% growth in passengers because the previous year, 2021-22, was a Covid year. The growth in 2023-24 and 2024-25 were 8% and 6%, respectively.
Talking about train fares, Vaishnaw said, "The fares of Indian Railways are among the lowest compared to other countries in the world."
He added, “There are no plans to implement dynamic fares in Vande Bharat Chair Car or Vande Bharat Sleeper trains.”
Vaishnaw stated that Indian Railways is focused on providing affordable, high-quality services to all sections of society and has developed and introduced trains such as Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat, Namo Bharat Rapid Rail, and special trains.
“With a view to meet the demand of passengers traveling in unreserved coaches, Railways has significantly increased the facilities for passengers demanding general class travel,” he said.
“During the last financial year, 2024-25 alone, 1,250 general coaches have been utilized in various long-distance trains. In the current financial year (up to December 2025), 767 coaches have been utilized for permanent augmentation,” he added.
According to Vaishnaw, to cater to the travel demands of low and middle-income families, Indian Railways has taken up the manufacturing of 17,000 non-AC coaches (general/sleeper) over the next five years.