The Ministry of Railways and Bangladesh Railway have decided to introduce a 25 per cent discount on train fares for senior citizens and persons with disabilities from 25 May.
According to the ministry, passengers aged 65 years and above will be eligible for the concession, with age verification to be carried out automatically through National Identity Card data during online ticket purchases.
The 25 per cent discount will apply only to the base fare, while service charges and VAT will remain unchanged. The facility will be available for both online and counter ticketing.
To avail of the benefit, senior citizens must be registered on Bangladesh Railway’s e-ticketing platform and the Rail Sheba app. Each eligible passenger will be able to use the discount a maximum of twice a week based on the date of travel, while refunded tickets will not be counted within this limit.
If a senior citizen travels with a companion, the accompanying passenger will have to pay the regular fare unless they also qualify as a senior citizen. In such cases, one additional senior companion may receive the concession under the same booking, subject to separate verification.
For persons with disabilities, the discount will apply to holders of the ‘Suvarna’ identity card issued by the Ministry of Social Welfare. They will receive a 50 per cent discount on Sulov/Shovon classes in intercity trains, while a new 25 per cent discount will be introduced for air-conditioned classes where such facilities are not available.
Initially, disabled passengers will only be able to access the facility through station counters. Online ticketing for them will be introduced later in coordination with the Social Welfare Ministry.
Companions of passengers with disabilities will have to pay the full fare.
The ministry also said the proposal to introduce a 25 per cent fare discount for students on short-distance commuter trains will be considered after the rollout of a unified student identity card system.
Officials said the initiative is part of broader efforts to expand welfare-based concessions in the railway sector.
