Expanding Comfort: Indian Railways Boosts Non-AC Travel for Masses

New Delhi: Indian Railways has substantially amplified the availability of non-airconditioned (non-AC) coaches, now making up nearly 70% of its overall coach composition. To further bolster this initiative, the Railways has launched a strategic manufacturing agenda aimed at producing 17,000 more general and sleeper non-AC coaches over the forthcoming five years, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced in Parliament on Wednesday.

Catering to the surging demand for general class travel , Indian Railways has amplified passenger facilities across multiple long-distance trains. In the 2024-25 fiscal year alone, 1250 general coaches were allocated for extended-route operations.

Maintaining an egalitarian fare structure, the Railways continues to operate Mail, Express, and ordinary passenger trains at budget-friendly rates, benefiting economically weaker segments, especially the lower-middle class and underprivileged communities.

To provide equitable and superior travel experiences, Indian Railways has introduced the Amrit Bharat and Namo Bharat Rapid Rail services, both entirely non-AC services designed to deliver premium amenities at minimal costs. The Railways has also greenlit the production of an additional 100 Amrit Baharat trains to address swelling demand.

Highlighting this shift, Vaishnaw revealed a noteworthy increase in passengers using unreserved or general coaches: from 553 crore in 2022–23 to 609 crore in 2023–24, and touching 651 crore in 2024–25. Currently, 54 lakh seats are designated for non-AC travel, an impressive 78% of total coach seating, leaving 22% for AC compartments.

To accommodate this rising influx, existing policies for Mail and Express trains now recommend a coach configuration with 12 non-AC general and sleeper class coaches and 8 AC ones in a standard 22-coach train. This ensures ample space for general category passengers while maintaining balanced infrastructure.

Additionally, the Railways continues to run MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit), EMU (Electric Multiple Unit), and other unreserved services to support spontaneous and affordable journeys for day-to-day commuters.

The burgeoning development of the Amrit Bharat Express, expansion of MEMU fleets, and increased share of general coaches underscore Indian Railways’ mission to inclusively meet public mobility needs.

Each Amrit Bahart train is meticulously curated to serve the masses, featuring 11 General Class coaches, 8 Sleeper Class units, a pantry car, and two multifunctional coaches that include luggage space, a guard cabin, and facilities for differently-abled travelers.

This endeavor is not only infrastructural but also sociological, aiming to offer modulated, traveller-centric, and contextualised services to the vast population dependent on affordable rail travel—making rail journeys more dignified, convenient, and syncretic than ever before.