The Government of India has announced a major benefit for the country's brave soldiers and their families. Armed Forces personnel decorated with the Sena Medal, Nao Sena Medal (Navy Medal) and Vayu Sena Medal (Air Force Medal) for gallantry, along with their eligible family members, will now be entitled to lifetime free travel on Indian Railways. Although the decision had already been announced, the process to implement the facility on the ground is now beginning. The most important development is that eligible beneficiaries will be able to book tickets through IRCTC under the new facility from November 1, 2026. The entire process has been designed to be online and paperless in order to make it easier for eligible gallantry award recipients and their families to avail themselves of the benefit.
Ticket booking to begin from November 1
The Ministry of Defence has prepared a digital system to implement the new facility. Eligible beneficiaries will first have to register online through the Indian Railway Concession Card Portal, or IRCCP. Once the registration is completed, the details submitted by the beneficiaries will undergo verification. After successful verification, electronic passes will be issued online. These e-passes will then allow beneficiaries to book their railway tickets through the IRCTC website. The ticket booking facility on the IRCTC web portal will become available from November 1, 2026.
Which gallantry medal winners will get the benefit?
The lifetime free rail travel facility will be available to personnel who have been awarded the following gallantry medals:
- Sena Medal (Gallantry)
- Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry)
- Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry)
Eligible recipients of these awards will be able to travel without paying the fare in First Class, Second AC (2AC) and AC Chair Car on Indian Railways. The facility will also cover one companion travelling with the gallantry award recipient, allowing the companion to travel free of charge.
Eligible family members will also benefit
The government has extended the facility beyond the gallantry medal recipients themselves. Certain eligible family members will also be entitled to the lifetime free travel benefit. These include the spouses of Sena Medal, Nao Sena Medal and Vayu Sena Medal gallantry award recipients. The benefit will also be available to the widow or widower of a gallantry medal recipient who died in service, provided they do not remarry. In the case of unmarried personnel who were awarded a gallantry medal posthumously, their parents will also be eligible for the facility.
Which awards were already covered?
Until now, the lifetime free rail travel facility was available to recipients of six major 'Chakra' gallantry awards. These are the Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra. With the latest decision, Sena Medal, Nao Sena Medal and Vayu Sena Medal awarded for gallantry have also been brought under the scope of the lifetime free rail travel facility.
Also Read:
How many states in India provide year-round free bus travel for women? Check full list here
