Senior Citizen Fare Concession: If you also often travel by railway, then you must know the updates related to it. After the Covid period, this financial year is proving to be comforting for the Railways. Railways earned Rs 135387 crore from freight in this financial year till January 2023. Railways has earned 16 percent more freight than the same period last year. Railways achieved freight loading of 1243.46 metric tonnes by January 2023.
Earned 16 percent more
According to the information given, the freight loading of Indian Railways for the first 10 months of the financial year 2022-23 has crossed the loading and earnings of the same period last year. Railways earned Rs 135387 crore as compared to Rs 117212 crore last year, which is 16 percent more than the same period last year. This year, during January 2023, an initial freight loading of 134.07 MT has been done as against loading of 129.12 MT in January 22, which is 4% higher than the previous year.
Passengers demanded restoration of exemption.
In comparison to the freight traffic of Rs 13172 crore in January a year ago, Rs 14907 crore was achieved this year. Due to which there has been an improvement of 13 percent compared to last year. Let us tell you that in the current financial year, Railways has earned better than the last few years. Due to increase in railway earnings, passengers are demanding restoration of ticket discount given to senior citizens. Let us tell you that before Covid, Railways used to give 50 to 60 percent discount in ticket price to senior citizens. But it was closed during the Covid period.
Railway Minister gave the answer.
Now there is a demand from the passengers to reinstate this discount. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said in response to a written question in the Rajya Sabha that the discount given to senior citizens by the Railways can be restored soon. In his reply given in the Rajya Sabha, he said that Indian Railways gave a subsidy of Rs 59,837 crore on passenger tickets in 2019-20, which is an average discount of about 53 percent for each person traveling.
It was informed by the Railway Board that a plan is being prepared to give concession in fare to senior citizens. This is being considered by the Railways, this exemption may be different than before. The standing committee is working on this. Senior citizens have been advised to give concession in at least sleeper and 3 AC. The parliamentary panel has also recommended to restore the exemption on railway tickets to senior citizens.
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