Railways have significantly increased the facilities for passengers demanding general class travel. During the last financial year 2024-25 alone, 1250 general coaches have been utilised in various long-distance trains.

The percentage of non-AC coaches has significantly increased to about 70% as detailed below:

Table 1: Distribution of coaches:

Due to higher availability of general coaches, the number of passengers traveling in general/ unreserved coaches has shown an increasing trend as shown below:

Table 2: Passengers in general/unreserved coaches:

The number of seats available for non-AC passengers has also increased over the years. The current composition is as follows:

Table 3: Distribution of seats:

To provide greater accommodation for the passengers using General and non-AC Sleeper Coaches, the extant policy regarding composition of Mail/Express trains provides for 12 (Twelve) General class & Sleeper class non- AC coaches and 08 (eight) AC-Coaches, in a train of 22 coaches, thereby providing greater accommodation for the passengers using General and non-AC Sleeper Coaches.

Further, to cater to the needs of passengers desirous of availing unreserved accommodation, Indian Railways (IR) operate unreserved non-AC passenger trains/ MEMU / EMU etc. for affordable travel, which are in addition to the unreserved accommodation (coaches) available in Mail/Express services.

Development of Amrit Bharat Express trains, manufacturing of MEMU trains, and increasing the share of general coaches clearly shows that Indian Railways is catering effectively to the demand for travel in general class.

Over and above the current high share of non-AC coaches (~70% of total coaches), Railways is executing a special manufacturing programme for 17,000 non-AC general/sleeper coaches over the next 5 years.

Indian Railways (IR) has introduced fully non-AC Amrit Bharat trains, presently comprising 11 General Class coaches, 8 Sleeper Class coaches, 1 Pantry car and 02 Second class cum Luggage cum Guard Van & Disabled Friendly Compartment. These trains have been designed and manufactured to cater to the needs of the general public by providing world class modern and comfortable rail travel experience to passengers of Non-AC segment. IR has provisioned for production of 100 Amrit Bharat Trains.

High Speed, enhanced Safety standards and world class service are the hallmarks of this train with following enhanced features and amenities:

• Better aesthetics of seat and berths with enhanced look & feel on the lines of Vande Bharat Sleeper.
• Jerk Free Semi-Automatic Couplers.
• Improved Crashworthy features.
• Provision of CCTV system in all coaches and Luggage room.
• Improved designs of toilets.
• Improved design of Ladder for ease of climbing onto the berth.
• Improved LED Light fitting & Charging Sockets.
• Provision of EP assisted braking system.
• Aerosol based fire suppression system in toilets and electrical cubicles.
• USB Type-A and Type-C mobile charging sockets.
• Emergency Talk Back system for two-way communication between Passenger and Guard/Train Manager.
• Non-AC Pantry with enhanced heating capacity.
• Fully sealed gangways with quick release mechanism for easy attachment and detachment.

Indian Railway fixes the fares with due consideration of the cost of service, value of service, what passengers can bear, competition from other competing modes, socio economic considerations etc. The fares of various trains/classes are based on the facilities provided in these trains. Indian Railways (IR) runs various types of train services for different types of passenger segments.

Indian Railways continues to run a large number of trains with affordable fare structures, including Mail/Express and passenger trains, for the benefit of the general public including the poor and lower middle class. IR has introduced Amrit Bharat services and Namo Bharat Rapid Rail services, providing high quality services to larger section of the population, particularly lower income groups.

This information was provided by the Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a written reply to questions in Lok Sabha today.

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Dharmendra Tewari/ Dr. Nayan Solanki/ Ritu Raj