70% of Coaches on Indian Railways Are Non-AC: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Synopsis

Indian Railways is utilizing 79,000 coaches for passenger services, with 56,000 being General and non-AC sleeper coaches, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced. To meet the demand, additional coaches and services are being introduced.

Key Takeaways

70% of current coaches are General/non-AC.
1,200 General Class coaches added for capacity.
17,000 new General Class/Sleeper coaches planned.
Modern non-AC Amrit Bharat trains introduced.
Occupancy varies between peak and off-peak seasons.

New Delhi, March 21 (NationPress) Indian Railways is currently operating 79,000 coaches for passenger train services, out of which 56,000 coaches, representing 70% of the total, fall under the General and non-AC Sleeper categories, as stated by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during a Parliament session on Friday.

To enhance capacity for passengers using unreserved coaches, approximately 1,200 General Class coaches have been added to Mail and Express trains equipped with LHB coaches designed with German technology this financial year, the minister mentioned in a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha.

In addition to regular services, Indian Railways also runs special train services during festivals and holidays to meet the increased demands of passengers, as pointed out by the minister.

Given the rising need for non-AC coach travel, Indian Railways plans to produce 17,000 General Class/Sleeper Class Coaches, he added.

Vaishnaw elaborated that to offer more seating for passengers in general and non-AC sleeper coaches, the current policy regarding the composition of Mail/Express trains allows for 12 General class & Sleeper class non-AC coaches and 8 AC-Coaches on a train consisting of 22 coaches, thus ensuring greater accommodation for those using General and non-AC Sleeper Coaches.

Besides the Mail/Express trains, Indian Railways also operates unreserved non-AC passenger trains, MEMU, and EMU for economical travel, he added.

He further noted that the occupancy pattern of trains on Indian Railways fluctuates throughout the year, varying between peak and off-peak seasons. During busy travel times, especially on popular routes, trains are often fully booked, whereas, during quieter periods and on less frequented routes, utilization is suboptimal.

Train traffic patterns on Indian Railways are regularly monitored, and to accommodate additional demand, the load of existing trains is increased, special trains are operated, new trains are launched, and the frequency of current services is enhanced, all subject to operational viability, he clarified.

Moreover, Indian Railways has rolled out modern, state-of-the-art fully non-AC Amrit Bharat trains. These trains feature advanced amenities such as semi-permanent couplers for a smoother ride, horizontal sliding windows, foldable snack tables, bottle holders, and mobile holders. Each train consists of 12 Sleeper Class Coaches and 8 General Class coaches, as the minister concluded.