Railway Concession for Children With Disabilities: How to Apply

Indian Railways gives fare concessions to four categories of passengers with disabilities. For children, the category that applies most often is "persons with intellectual disability who cannot travel without an escort": the child gets 75% off in Sleeper, Second class and AC 3-tier, and one escort travelling with them gets the same concession. Autism on its own is not one of the four categories.

The process has three steps: get the railway concession certificate signed by a government doctor, use it to apply for a Divyangjan photo ID card on divyangjanid.indianrail.gov.in, then enter the card number when you book on IRCTC or at the counter. Here is each step, with the rules as of November 2026.

Who qualifies for the railway disability concession

The Railway Board's rules allow concession to four categories of persons with disabilities. They are narrower than the 21 disabilities in the RPwD Act, and the Railway Board has said in hearings before the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities that it does not extend concession to all 21.

Orthopaedically handicapped or paraplegic persons who cannot travel without an escort.
Persons with intellectual disability who cannot travel without an escort. Until 31 May 2025 this category was worded "mentally retarded persons". Railway Board Commercial Circular No. 06 of 2025 changed the wording and the certificate format from 1 June 2025. Certificates issued in the old format before that date stay valid until they expire.
Persons with visual impairment with total absence of sight, travelling alone or with an escort.
Persons with hearing and speech impairment totally, both together in the same person, travelling alone or with an escort.

The fourth category trips up many families. The Railway Board has told the Chief Commissioner that concession is given only when both hearing and speech impairment are present and certified. A certificate that mentions only hearing loss, even 100% hearing loss, has been rejected. If your child is deaf and has not developed speech, make sure the certificate records both.

How much the concession is

These are the concession levels the Ministry of Railways has published (PIB, December 2019). Railway fares and rules can change, so check the fare shown at booking before you pay.

Category	Concession on single journey tickets	Escort
Orthopaedic or paraplegic, intellectual disability (cannot travel without escort), total absence of sight	75% in Second, Sleeper, First class, AC Chair Car and AC 3-tier. 50% in AC 2-tier and AC First. 25% in AC 3-tier and AC Chair Car of Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains.	One escort gets the same concession
Hearing and speech impairment together	50% in Second, Sleeper and First class	One escort gets the same concession

The same table lists a 50% concession on First and Second class season tickets. In December 2025, the Railway Minister told the Lok Sabha that concessional online booking is available on the basis of photo identity cards issued by zonal railways, and that one escort accompanying the passenger is eligible for the same concession.

Separately from the fare, there is a reserved quota for passengers with disabilities in all Mail and Express trains, including Rajdhani and Shatabdi type trains: four berths in Sleeper (two lower, two middle), four in AC 3-tier or AC 3-economy, and four seats in reserved Second Sitting or AC Chair Car where the train has more than two such coaches. The escort is given a berth from the same quota, and the system tries to give the child a lower berth with the escort close by.

Does autism qualify for the railway concession?

Not by itself. Autism spectrum disorder is a specified disability under the RPwD Act, but it is not one of the railway's four concession categories, and a UDID card for autism does not, on its own, get your child the fare concession.

What this means in practice:

If your autistic child also has intellectual disability and a government doctor certifies that they cannot travel without an escort, they can get the concession under the intellectual disability category. The certificate is about the railway category, not the diagnosis name, so ask the doctor to use the railway's own form.
If your child is autistic without intellectual disability, there is currently no category for them. The Railway Board's position is that travel concession is a policy and commercial matter separate from the RPwD Act, and the Delhi High Court upheld the existing policy in a judgment of 18 May 2023. Petitions asking for wider categories and for the UDID card to be accepted as a single document were still before the Delhi High Court at the end of 2025.

Families have challenged this. In a March 2026 order, the Chief Commissioner's court observed that denying the concession to an autistic person was not in line with Sections 3 and 2(s) of the RPwD Act, but the case was closed because the family said their issue had been resolved, so it did not change the rule. If your child is refused, keep the rejection in writing; it is useful for any complaint later. For how autism certification itself works, see our guide to autism disability percentage and ISAA scoring.

How to apply, step by step

Step 1: get the railway concession certificate

This is a separate form from your child's RPwD disability certificate or UDID card. The current form for the orthopaedic, intellectual disability and hearing plus speech categories (blindness has its own form) is annexed to Commercial Circular No. 06 of 2025. Key rules on the form:

It must be signed by a government doctor, with a clear seal of the government hospital showing the doctor's full name and registration number.
Your child's photo is pasted on it and stamped so the seal falls partly on the photo and partly on the paper.
The doctor writes whether the disability is temporary or permanent, and strikes out the categories that do not apply.
No alterations are allowed. A corrected or overwritten form can be refused.

Validity for children: for intellectual disability and for hearing plus speech impairment, the certificate is valid for five years from the date of issue. For permanent orthopaedic disability it is five years up to age 25, ten years from 26 to 35, and lifelong after 35. The Divyangjan ID card carries the same validity as the certificate, so diary the expiry date.

Step 2: apply for the Divyangjan ID card online

Railways issues a photo identity card to eligible passengers, and that card's number is what you use to book. Applications and renewals now go through the online portal, divyangjanid.indianrail.gov.in, run by CRIS for Indian Railways. The circular itself says the concession certificate can be uploaded there for the ID card and for e-ticket booking.

Register on the portal with a mobile number and create a login.
Choose your state and the railway station nearest to the hospital that issued the certificate, so the application reaches the right railway division.
Fill in your child's details and the disability category exactly as written on the certificate.
Upload the scanned concession certificate, a recent photo and the proofs the portal asks for.
Track the status online. Once approved, download or collect the card and note the ID number.

When Southern Railway announced the portal in November 2024, it said applications and renewals no longer need a visit to a railway office and that Aadhaar is not mandatory for registration. Follow the on-screen instructions, as the portal changes.

Step 3: book tickets with the concession

On the IRCTC website or app, tick the Person with Disability Concession box on the journey search, pick a train, and fill the passenger form with the concession type, ID card number, date of birth and card validity date. You can save your child's details in the Master List so you do not have to type them every time.

Carry the original Railway photo ID card on the journey. It can be checked on board or at the station.
The escort must carry the photo identity proof they gave at the time of booking.
At a reservation counter, a photocopy of the concession certificate is accepted, but the original must be shown when you buy the ticket and during the journey if asked.
If you were given a middle or upper berth and a lower berth is free after departure, the ticket checking staff can allot it to your child.

If crowds are hard for your child, our tips on handling meltdowns in public work just as well on a busy platform.

Documents to keep ready

Railway concession certificate in the current format, signed and sealed by a government doctor
Your child's disability certificate or UDID card (see our UDID guide)
Proof of date of birth and address
Recent passport-size photos
Escort's photo ID
A registered mobile number for the portal and IRCTC

If your application is rejected or stuck

Read the rejection reason first. Most refusals come down to the wrong form, a missing seal or registration number, or a category that does not match the certificate. Get a fresh certificate on the correct form and reapply. If you believe your child has been wrongly refused, you can file a grievance on the central grievance portal (pgportal.gov.in), and for discrimination or denial of rights you can complain to the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities or your State Commissioner, who hear disability rights cases under the RPwD Act. Our practical guide to disability rights explains how those complaints work.

Not sure which disability categories your child falls under before you start? Our free RPwD eligibility checker gives a quick first answer. And if you are in Bangalore, Carely's therapists work with children at home on the everyday skills that make travel easier, from waiting and transitions to communicating needs; you can reach us on WhatsApp at +91 98809 11516.

Frequently asked questions

Can a child with intellectual disability travel alone on the concession?

The category is defined as persons with intellectual disability who cannot travel without an escort, so the child travels with one escort, who gets the same concession. Only the total absence of sight and hearing plus speech categories are described as travelling alone or with an escort.

Is a UDID card enough for the railway concession?

As of November 2026, the rules still ask for the railway's own concession certificate, which you then use for the Divyangjan ID card. Accepting the UDID card as a single document has been under consideration, so check the portal when you apply.

Can I book a railway concession ticket online?

Yes. Once your child has the Railway photo ID card, you can book on the IRCTC website or app by ticking the Person with Disability Concession option and entering the card details.

How long is the railway concession certificate valid for a child?

For intellectual disability and for hearing plus speech impairment, five years from the date of issue. For permanent orthopaedic disability, five years up to age 25. The ID card expires with the certificate.

Does a child with cerebral palsy get the railway concession?

Possibly, under the orthopaedically handicapped or paraplegic category, if a government doctor certifies that the child cannot travel without an escort. If the child also has intellectual disability, the doctor can certify that category instead. Read more about the law behind these categories in our RPwD Act explainer.

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By The Carely Team