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NDTV
30-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Non-AC Coaches In Indian Railways Increase To 70% With Focus On Poor
New Delhi: The percentage of non-AC coaches in trains run by Indian Railways has significantly increased to about 70 per cent, and a special manufacturing programme is being implemented to produce an additional 17,000 non-AC general and sleeper coaches over the next 5 years, Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament on Wednesday. Indian Railways have significantly increased the facilities for passengers demanding general class travel. During the last financial year 2024-25 alone, 1,250 general coaches have been utilised in various long-distance trains. 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. Indian Railways has introduced non-AC Amrit Bharat services and Namo Bharat Rapid Rail services, providing high quality services to a larger section of the population, particularly lower income groups, the minister said. Indian Railways has also provisioned for production of another 100 Amrit Bharat Trains, he added. Vaishnaw highlighted that due to higher availability of general coaches, the number of passengers travelling in general/unreserved coaches has shown an increasing trend, going up from 553 crore in 2022-23 to 609 crore in 2023-24 and 651 crore in 2024-25. The number of seats available for non-AC passengers has now gone up to 54 lakh which constitutes 78 per cent of the total while AC seats comprise the remaining 22 per cent. 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 General class & Sleeper class non- AC coaches and 8 AC-Coaches, in a train of 22 coaches, thereby providing greater accommodation for the passengers using General and non-AC Sleeper Coaches, Vaishnaw explained. Further, to cater to the needs of passengers desirous of availing unreserved accommodation, Indian Railways 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, the minister further stated. Indian Railways has introduced fully non-AC Amrit Bharat trains, presently comprising 11 General Class coaches, 8 Sleeper Class coaches, 1 Pantry car and 2 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 the non-AC segment.g (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Hans India
30-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Non-AC coaches in Indian Railways increase to 70 pc with focus on poor
New Delhi: The percentage of non-AC coaches in trains run by Indian Railways has significantly increased to about 70 per cent, and a special manufacturing programme is being implemented to produce an additional 17,000 non-AC general and sleeper coaches over the next 5 years, Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament on Wednesday. Indian Railways have significantly increased the facilities for passengers demanding general class travel. During the last financial year 2024-25 alone, 1,250 general coaches have been utilised in various long-distance trains. 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. Indian Railways has introduced non-AC Amrit Bharat services and Namo Bharat Rapid Rail services, providing high quality services to a larger section of the population, particularly lower income groups, the minister said. Indian Railways has also provisioned for production of another 100 Amrit Bharat Trains, he added. Vaishnaw highlighted that due to higher availability of general coaches, the number of passengers travelling in general/unreserved coaches has shown an increasing trend, going up from 553 crore in 2022-23 to 609 crore in 2023-24 and 651 crore in 2024-25. The number of seats available for non-AC passengers has now gone up to 54 lakh which constitutes 78 per cent of the total while AC seats comprise the remaining 22 per cent. 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 General class & Sleeper class non- AC coaches and 8 AC-Coaches, in a train of 22 coaches, thereby providing greater accommodation for the passengers using General and non-AC Sleeper Coaches, Vaishnaw explained. Further, to cater to the needs of passengers desirous of availing unreserved accommodation, Indian Railways 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, the minister further stated. Indian Railways has introduced fully non-AC Amrit Bharat trains, presently comprising 11 General Class coaches, 8 Sleeper Class coaches, 1 Pantry car and 2 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 the non-AC segment.
The Hindu
30-07-2025
- The Hindu
New daily express train from Thanjavur to Velankanni via Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai and Thirunallar sought
The Thanjavur District Railway Users Association has requested the Southern Railway administration to introduce a direct train service between Thanjavur and Velankanni via Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai, Peralam, Thirunallar, Karaikal, Nagore and Nagapattinam for the benefit of devotees visiting various shrines along the route. In a representation to the Principal Chief Operations Manager, Southern Railway, the association secretary A. Giri said Kumbakonam was the hub for devotees visiting Navagraha temples. There was a perennial flow of tourists visiting temples in and around Kumbakonam. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (Kumbakonam) Limited was operating conducted tour buses every day from Kumbakonam covering all the nine Navagraha temples. Apart from these, many pilgrims were visiting these temples separately through regular buses. Around 20 TNSTC and private buses were being operated to Karaikal from Kumbakonam and a host of buses were being operated to Nagapattinam. Pilgrims proceeding to Thirunallar and Velankanni were using these services to visit the respective shrines in the two towns. Hence, the association has requested the Southern Railway to introduce a daily MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) express train between Thanjavur and Velankanni via Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai, Peralam, Thirunallar, Karaikal, Nagore and Nagapattinam. The association has suggested that the demanded train could be operated with conventional rakes until MEMU coaches were deployed. The association thanked the Southern Railway for extending the services of Train No. 06190/06191 Tiruchi- Tambaram- Tiruchi Intercity Express up to August 31.
Time of India
30-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
651 crore people travelled by general coaches last year: Indian Railways
BENGALURU: Viral videos of jam-packed trains and crammed unreserved compartments may have sparked fears that Indian Railways is prioritising air-conditioned luxury over affordable travel. But official data tells a different tale: In 2024–25, a staggering 651 crore passengers travelled by general coaches, marking a 17 per cent surge compared to 2022–23. Far from shrinking, general and unreserved travel is booming, reveals railway ministry's latest data while reflecting a growing dependence on budget rail travel by the country's low- and middle-income families. In 2023-24, the passenger count in the general coaches (unreserved coaches) added to 609 crore. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru According to a statement by railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in Rajya Sabha, the surge in general class travel has been accompanied by a notable policy shift in coach allocation. Non-AC coaches, which include general and sleeper class, now make up 70 percent of the total coach fleet, numbering approximately 57,200 out of 82,200. The number of available seats reflects a similar trend, with non-AC seats accounting for 54 lakh (78 per cent) of the total 69 lakh seats. To meet this growing demand, the Railways introduced 1,250 general coaches in long-distance trains during 2024–25 alone, the minister said and added that the fleet was being augmented with the deployment of Amrit Bharat Express, a fully non-AC modern train with advanced features such as semi-automatic couplers, sliding windows, mobile holders, and foldable snack tables. So far, 14 Amrit Bharat trains have been introduced, each comprising 8 sleeper and 11 general coaches. Further, the extant policy on Mail/Express trains mandates 22 coaches per rake, including 12 general (non-AC) and 8 AC coaches, underscoring the government's priority towards affordable mass transport. The ministry is also executing a special manufacturing program for 17,000 additional non-AC coaches over the next five years, he said. The increase in general coach usage is also being supported by the augmentation of MEMU and EMU services, which offer additional unreserved travel options beyond mail/express trains. With regard to the videos of packed compartments, a senior railway official described it as an 'occurrence during peak season'. 'Special trains are deployed to meet the rush, especially during festive holidays. About 13,500 special train trips were operated last year to meet the demand, the official added.
Time of India
27-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Passenger coaches upgradation in Kashmir Valley to be completed by Aug 31: Centre
Advt Advt New Delhi: The upgradation works of passenger coaches in the Kashmir Valley will be completed by August 31 and all rakes in service will be renovated and upgraded within this timeframe, the Indian Railways said on the opening of Jammu-Srinagar rail line and the ongoing upgradation works, it will provide a new lifeline to Jammu and Kashmir, the Ministry of Railways said in a Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link project with Chenab and Anji bridges on June 6, 2025. It is a historic milestone in establishing connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and Bharat Express train between Katra and Srinagar has become an important mode of transportation on this the opening of Jammu-Srinagar rail link, there was no rail connectivity of Kashmir valley with the rest of the Indian Railway network. The DEMU/MEMU rakes in Kashmir valley could not be brought to the workshop for periodic maintenance and upgradation."Over and above the new train services, opening of this line has made a fundamental change in the ability to maintain rail tracks in Kashmir valley. The railway link has enabled movement of track maintenance machines to the Kashmir valley. Maintenance is now being done with modern machines, unlike manual maintenance earlier. This is leading to significant improvement in track quality," the ministry are being upgraded across the country. By early 2025, 78 per cent of India's tracks have been upgraded to 110 kmph or more. This number was just 39 per cent in 2014."This higher proportion should be seen in light of the rise in the total length of tracks in the last decade. Total length of tracks has increased to over 1 lakh km in 2025 from 79,342 km in 2014," the ministry noted."We will improve the track quality by significantly upgrading the track technology and maintenance practices. Modern track fittings, usage of track machines, ultra sound fracture detection machines, road cum rail vehicles, and integrated track measurement machines will make our track maintenance scientific," said Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw."AI will be extensively used in detecting defects. These technological changes will substantially improve the working conditions for track maintenance staff," he added.-IANSna/
