General coach ridership has steadily increased, prompting production of 17,000 more non-AC coaches over five years
New Delhi: Indian Railways has substantially improved travel facilities for economically weaker passengers, increasing the availability of non-AC seats to 54 lakh, which now accounts for 78 per cent of the total rail seats, compared to 22 per cent for AC seats, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, said that, due to higher availability of general coaches, the number of passengers travelling in general unreserved coaches has continued to rise. Passenger figures for general unreserved coaches jumped from 553 crore in 2022-23 to 609 crore in 2023-24 and further to 651 crore in 2024-25.
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In the current year alone, 1,250 general coaches have been used in various long-distance trains. To cater to the travel requirements of low and middle-income families, Indian Railways has also initiated the production of 17,000 more non-AC coaches (general/sleeper) over the next five years. Currently, about 70 per cent of coaches on the railway network are non-AC.
The minister highlighted the launch of the fully non-AC modern Amrit Bharat Express, with 14 services already in operation. Each Amrit Bharat Express has 11 general class coaches, 8 sleeper coaches, 1 pantry car, and 2 luggage-cum-Divyangjan coaches, offering high speed, enhanced safety, and modern amenities. Features include CCTV cameras, better-designed toilets, improved ladders for berths, and advanced LED lighting and charging sockets.
In addition to unreserved non-AC Mail and Express coaches, Indian Railways operates standalone unreserved non-AC passenger trains, MEMU, and EMU services for affordable travel.
Vaishnaw noted that, under the current policy, a standard 22-coach Mail/Express train includes 12 general and non-AC sleeper coaches and eight AC coaches, to ensure more accommodation for general and non-AC passengers.
Further, extensive efforts have been made by Indian Railways for cleanliness and passenger comfort. All passenger coaches are now equipped with bio-toilets to prevent discharge of human waste onto tracks, resulting in cleaner platforms and stations. Mechanised cleaning at major stations and on-board housekeeping services help maintain high levels of hygiene during journeys, the minister added.
With inputs from IANS
Published: 06 Aug 2025, 04:36 pm IST
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