Table of Contents
How to claim railway senior citizen / patient concession — complete 2026 guide
Quick answer. The blanket age-based senior citizen concession (40% for men 60+, 50% for women 58+) was suspended on 20 March 2020 as a COVID austerity measure and has NOT been restored as of April 2026, despite repeated Parliament questions. Ignore any website or agent that “promises” senior concession on regular booking — it is not active. However, several medical and disability concessions survive and are very much active in 2026 — cancer (75%), TB / non-infectious leprosy (75%), thalassemia / haemophilia (75%), heart / kidney patients travelling for treatment (75% on 2A/3A), Hansen's disease, persons with disabilities (50-75%), and accompanying attendants. These need a medical certificate from a recognised hospital and are claimed at the booking counter or via the IRCTC concession form.
Ramesh's story — "Dialysis 3x a week, ₹890 instead of ₹3,560 on 2AC"
Ramesh Iyer, 67, retired postal department clerk in Coimbatore. Diagnosed with stage-4 chronic kidney disease in 2024. Travels every fortnight to Vellore (CMC Hospital) for dialysis follow-up + nephrology consult. Wife Lakshmi accompanies as attendant.
“When the dialysis started I was paying ₹3,560 each way for 2A on the Cheran Express — Coimbatore to Katpadi. Twice a month, plus my wife's ticket, it was eating ₹14,000 a month from my pension. My nephew told me about the kidney-patient concession. I went to CMC's medical records office. Dr Rajesh signed a certificate on the prescribed Railway format saying 'patient suffering from chronic renal failure, undergoing maintenance dialysis, requires periodic visits to this hospital, accompanying attendant essential.' I took it to Coimbatore Junction reservation counter. The clerk asked for the certificate, my Aadhaar, my wife's Aadhaar, and the ticket booking form (S-1407 with concession code 16 for me, code 17 for attendant). For 2A, the concession is 75% off the base fare for both patient and one attendant. My ticket dropped from ₹3,560 to ₹890. Wife's the same. We save ₹10,680 every month. The certificate is valid for 1 year — I just renew it during my annual review at CMC.”
—Ramesh, March 2026
About 48 lakh medical concession tickets are issued every year by Indian Railways (Railway Board reply to Lok Sabha Q. No. 3214, December 2025). Most patients don't know the concession exists or assume it died with senior-citizen concession in 2020. It didn't.
What this is — and what changed in March 2020
Indian Railways has historically offered concessions to 53 categories of passengers — students, journalists, sportspersons, transplant recipients, war widows, freedom fighters, and the well-known age-based senior citizen category.
On 20 March 2020, citing COVID-19 financial pressure, Railway Board issued Circular No. CC-22 of 2020 suspending most concessions. Despite multiple parliamentary questions (most recently Lok Sabha unstarred Q. No. 1437 in February 2026), the Railway Ministry has stated it has no plans to restore the senior citizen concession.
What survives in 2026:
- Medical concessions for specific illnesses (cancer, TB, kidney, heart, thalassemia, haemophilia, AIDS).
- Disability concessions for orthopedically handicapped, blind, deaf-mute, intellectually disabled, mentally challenged.
- Caste & honour concessions — Padma awardees, freedom fighters, Param Vir Chakra etc.
- Sports / press / professional concessions for accredited journalists, national-level sportspersons, students travelling for examinations.
- War widows, defence personnel in specific categories.
The legal anchor is §22 of the Railway Act, 1989 read with Indian Railway Conference Association (IRCA) Coaching Tariff Part-I, Vol-I, and the latest amending Railway Board circulars.
Step-by-step process — claiming a medical concession
Step 1 — Confirm your category and concession %
Most-claimed medical concessions in 2026:
+----------------------------------+-----------+-------------------------+ | Category | Class | Concession | +----------------------------------+-----------+-------------------------+ | Cancer patient | 2S/SL/3A | 75% (patient+escort) | | (going for/returning from | 2A/CC | 50% | | treatment) | 1A/EC | 50% | +----------------------------------+-----------+-------------------------+ | TB / non-infectious leprosy | 2S/SL | 75% | | patient (going to/from sanitorium)| 2A/3A | Not eligible | +----------------------------------+-----------+-------------------------+ | Heart patient (for surgery / | 2S/SL/3A | 75% (patient+escort) | | treatment, with certificate) | 2A | 50% | +----------------------------------+-----------+-------------------------+ | Kidney patient (dialysis / | 2S/SL/3A | 75% (patient+escort) | | transplant) | 2A/CC | 75% | | | 1A/EC | 50% | +----------------------------------+-----------+-------------------------+ | Thalassemia / haemophilia | All | 75% (patient+escort) | | patient | reserved | | +----------------------------------+-----------+-------------------------+ | AIDS patient (going to ART | 2S/SL | 50% (patient only) | | centre — National AIDS Programme)| | | +----------------------------------+-----------+-------------------------+ | Aplastic anaemia / sickle cell | 2S/SL/3A | 75% (patient+escort) | +----------------------------------+-----------+-------------------------+ | Person with Disability — locomotor| 2S/SL/3A | 75% (PwD + escort) | | (cannot travel without escort) | 2A/CC | 50% | | | 1A/EC | 50% | +----------------------------------+-----------+-------------------------+ | Blind person (with escort) | Same as PwD locomotor | +----------------------------------+-----------+-------------------------+ | Mentally retarded / | Same as PwD locomotor | | intellectually disabled | | +----------------------------------+-----------+-------------------------+ | Deaf and dumb (combined) | 2S/SL | 50% (patient only) | +----------------------------------+-----------+-------------------------+
Step 2 — Get the medical certificate
- Visit the treating hospital's Medical Records Department / Civil Surgeon's office.
- Use IRCA-prescribed Form (also called “Railway concession certificate” — formats are in IRCA Coaching Tariff Annexure-I; most government and recognised private hospitals have them on file).
- The certificate must:
- State the disease/condition explicitly.
- Confirm the patient is travelling to or from treatment.
- Confirm an attendant is necessary (for 75% escort concession).
- Be signed by the head of department (Oncologist for cancer, Nephrologist for kidney, Cardiologist for heart, Civil Surgeon for general).
- Bear the hospital seal and registration number.
- Validity: 1 year from issue (most categories). Cancer patients with active treatment can use one certificate for multiple journeys within the year.
Step 3 — For PwD (disability) — get the UDID card
- Apply for Unique Disability ID (UDID) at https://www.swavlambancard.gov.in
- Once issued, the UDID alone is enough proof — no separate medical certificate needed for each journey.
- UDID-with-RPwD-Act-2016 categories are the eligible ones.
Step 4 — Book at a reservation counter (preferred)
- Walk into any PRS (Passenger Reservation System) counter at a major station.
- Fill the standard reservation form PLUS quote the concession code in the “Concession” column:
- Cancer = code 04, Kidney = code 16, Heart = code 11, TB = code 03, PwD = code 06, Escort = code 17.
- Attach the medical certificate / UDID copy.
- Show original ID + originals of certificate.
- Pay the discounted fare.
- Counter ticket issued; carry the certificate on board for TTE check.
Step 5 — Online booking (limited categories)
- IRCTC online booking supports concession only for Person with Disability (PwD) with verified UDID, and for accredited sportspersons / press, after one-time verification on https://www.irctc.co.in → “My Profile” → “Concessions” → upload UDID + Aadhaar.
- For medical (cancer/kidney/heart etc.) concessions, online booking is NOT available — counter only.
- IRCTC has been promising a digital medical-concession upload portal since 2023; status as of April 2026: still not live. RTI replies confirm “under development” (PIO IRCTC, RTI No. RTIIR/E/24/04321 dated 12 January 2026).
Step 6 — At the time of travel
- Carry originals of: medical certificate, photo ID of patient and attendant, ticket.
- TTE may request to see them — without originals, the concession is invalidated and full fare may be charged on the train (with penalty).
- Keep a couple of photocopies as backup.
Step 7 — Renewal
- Most certificates are valid for 1 year. For chronic conditions (dialysis, cancer maintenance), renew annually at the same hospital.
- Some hospitals issue a “blanket” letter for 6-12 months specifying frequency — IRCA accepts these.
Step 8 — If wrongly denied at counter
- Insist politely; ask to speak to the Chief Reservation Supervisor (CRS) on duty.
- If still denied, write the denial reason on the form, get the supervisor to sign, and book at full fare. Then file a refund claim via TDR + complaint via Rail Madad with the signed denial slip.
Sample fee + eligibility table
+---------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Concession application | NIL — concession is given on the | | | discounted ticket itself. | +---------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Medical certificate cost | NIL at government hospitals; | | | ₹100-₹500 at private hospitals. | +---------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | UDID card | NIL (free, lifetime). | +---------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Validity of certificate | 1 year from date of issue (most | | | categories). Cancer treatment | | | certificates can be used for | | | multiple journeys within 1 year. | +---------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Senior citizen age-based | DISCONTINUED since 20 March 2020 — | | concession (40%/50%) | not active in 2026. Do NOT pay any | | | "agent" claiming to revive it. | +---------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Tatkal — concession allowed? | NO. All concessions disabled in | | | tatkal quota since 2016. | +---------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Premium Tatkal — concession? | NO. | +---------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | RTI to PIO Railway Board for | ₹10 by IPO. BPL = free. | | concession denial / clarification| | +---------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
Common reasons your concession claim gets stuck
- Trying to claim age-based senior concession — it's been suspended for 6 years; counters and IRCTC will refuse.
- Certificate format wrong — many hospitals issue a “fitness” certificate; Railways needs the IRCA-prescribed concession form with explicit travel-for-treatment wording.
- Certificate older than 12 months — TTE can refuse during journey.
- No attendant column ticked in the certificate but escort concession claimed — counter rejects.
- Patient's Aadhaar name and certificate name mismatch (e.g., maiden name on certificate, married name on Aadhaar).
- Tried to book online for medical category — IRCTC simply doesn't list medical concession options. Use counter.
- TTE on train doesn't know the concession code — happens with newer staff. Carry a printed copy of the relevant Railway Board circular for backup.
- Booked tatkal with concession — concession quota and tatkal quota are mutually exclusive; tatkal automatically charges full fare even if you ticked concession.
- Patient's escort is a third person, not a relative — Railways now generally allows any one declared escort, but some divisional offices still insist on a relative.
If stuck — the escalation ladder
Rung 1 — Station-level escalation
- Chief Reservation Supervisor at the station counter.
- Station Manager / Station Master.
- Best for: same-day denials, on-train disputes.
Rung 2 — Rail Madad
- Mobile app: Rail Madad.
- Helpline: 139.
- SLA: 24-48 hours for first response.
- Best for: documented denial of valid concession, refund of overcharge.
Rung 3 — Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) office
- Each division has a Public Grievance Officer.
- Letter to: Sr. DCM (Senior Divisional Commercial Manager), [Division] Division, [Zone] Railway.
- Use registered post or email (DRM email IDs listed on each zonal railway website).
Rung 4 — CPGRAMS
- https://pgportal.gov.in → Ministry of Railways.
- Useful when Rail Madad has not resolved in 7+ days.
Rung 5 — Right to Information (RTI)
Indian Railways and Railway Board are public authorities under §2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005.
RTI helps here when:
- A reservation counter refused valid medical concession and gave no written reason — RTI to PIO of that division asking for the reason and the supervisor's name.
- Your concession was given but at lower percentage than rule — RTI to Railway Board (Commercial Directorate) for the latest applicable circular.
- You want to know the policy status of senior-citizen concession restoration — RTI to Ministry of Railways (Commercial Department) asking for “any file noting / committee report on restoration since 2020”.
- IRCTC online concession upload promised but not active — RTI to PIO IRCTC asking for the project's current development status and expected go-live date.
- Refund of overcharge filed via TDR but rejected — RTI to Senior DCM asking for the rejection note.
See template: RTI for railway concession denial — copy-ready template.
RTI does NOT help here when:
- You want senior-citizen concession restored — that's a policy decision; RTI cannot order Railways to change policy. Only Parliament or court can.
- You have a generic medical condition (asthma, diabetes, hypertension) not on the IRCA list — RTI cannot get you concession for an unlisted condition.
- You want a discount on tatkal — concessions are statutorily disabled in tatkal; RTI cannot override.
- You want free travel — Railway concessions are discounts, not waivers (except for specified categories like Param Vir Chakra recipients, freedom fighters, blind+escort etc.).
FAQs
Q. I'm 70 years old. Can I get any senior discount on Indian Railways in 2026?
No — the age-based senior concession (40%/50%) is suspended since March 2020 and is not active in 2026. Plan for full fare. If you have a qualifying medical condition (cancer, kidney failure, heart, TB, thalassemia etc.), the medical concession applies independent of age and can be 75%.
Q. Will the senior concession come back?
Railway Board's RTI replies (most recent: Reply dated 04 February 2026 to RTI No. RAILBOARD/R/24/01287) say “no proposal under active consideration”. Multiple Lok Sabha questions have been answered with the same line.
Q. My mother has cancer. She and I travel together for chemo. Both get 75%?
Yes. Patient gets 75% on SL/3A. One attendant (you) gets 75% on the same class. Two attendants are not eligible.
Q. Can the medical concession be claimed both ways (going and returning)?
Yes — the certificate covers travel “to” the hospital and “from” the hospital. Book both legs at the counter with the same certificate.
Q. Can I book the concession ticket on IRCTC mobile app?
Only PwD (UDID-verified) and a few professional categories. Medical concessions (cancer, kidney, heart, TB) are counter-only as of April 2026. Use any PRS counter at a station.
Q. What if the train I want has no quota left after concession is applied?
Concession booking competes within the regular General Quota. If GN is full, you can be put on waitlist with the concession fare. Tatkal is not available with concession.
Q. The TTE charged me full fare on board even though I had the certificate. What now?
Insist that he issue an EFT (Excess Fare Ticket) showing the full fare and the reason. Then file a refund claim via TDR online within 30 days, attaching scanned EFT, certificate, and ID. If TDR is rejected, escalate via Rail Madad → CPGRAMS → RTI.
Q. Are these concessions available on Vande Bharat / Tejas / Shatabdi?
Yes, where the concession class applies. For Vande Bharat (CC and EC), the concession % is at the same rate as the equivalent category in the table above. Verify at the counter before booking.
Related on RTI Wiki
Last reviewed: 26 April 2026 by RTI Wiki editorial team. Railway concession rules change with Railway Board circulars and the annual Railway Budget — verify the latest on indianrailways.gov.in or write to admin@bighelpers.in if you spot a stale figure.