Indian Railways to Manufacture 17,000 Non-AC Coaches Over Five Years, Says Minister Vaishnaw

Indian Railways will manufacture approximately 17,000 general and non-air-conditioned (non-AC) coaches over the next five years to meet the growing demand for affordable rail travel, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

The initiative aims to enhance accessibility for lower-income passengers, with a focus on general and sleeper class coaches.Vaishnaw stated that of the current 82,200 coaches in the Indian Railways fleet, about 70%—or 57,200—are non-AC, while 25,000 are air-conditioned (AC) coaches.

This composition reflects the railway’s emphasis on budget-friendly travel, with non-AC coaches accounting for nearly 78% of the 6.9 million seats available daily across the network. In the 2024-25 financial year alone, 1,250 general coaches were added to long-distance trains to address rising demand.The minister highlighted that passenger numbers in unreserved coaches surged to 651 crore in 2024-25, up from 609 crore the previous year.

To accommodate this growth, Indian Railways has introduced fully non-AC Amrit Bharat trains, featuring 11 general class coaches, eight sleeper class coaches, one pantry car, and two luggage-cum-guard vans with disabled-friendly compartments.

Currently, 14 such trains are operational, with plans to produce 100 more.Vaishnaw noted that the standard composition of Mail/Express trains includes 12 non-AC coaches (general and sleeper) and eight AC coaches in a 22-coach rake, prioritizing affordable travel. Additionally, unreserved non-AC passenger trains, such as MEMU and EMU services, supplement the unreserved accommodations available in Mail/Express trains.

The manufacturing program aligns with the government’s focus on catering to lower-income groups. Indian Railways also operates 13,940 passenger trains daily in 2024-25, an increase from 13,169 in 2019-20. The minister also addressed the deployment of Kavach, India’s indigenous Automatic Train Protection technology, which has been implemented on 1,548 route kilometers on South Central and North Central Railways.

This expansion of non-AC coaches is part of a broader strategy to enhance rail infrastructure and ensure affordable travel options for the general public, particularly for lower-income and middle-class passengers, Vaishnaw said