Indian Railways has added a total of 267 general coaches to trains running on Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR). This enhancement, which forms part of the larger strategy to augment train capacity, comes as a response to the growing demand for more unreserved seating.
Over the past year, both CR and WR have each increased the number of general coaches on multiple pairs of mail and express trains. These additional coaches are benefitting over 10,000 unreserved passengers daily. The initiative is part of a broader effort to meet the increasing demand for affordable travel, especially amid rising passenger numbers. The decision follows criticism of the railway’s focus on high-end services such as Vande Bharat trains, which predominantly cater to AC and first-class passengers. In response, a special manufacturing program was launched to produce 12,000 new general coaches, with over 900 coaches already added this financial year. The Indian Railways aims to continue this expansion, targeting the production of 10,000 more general coaches in the near future. On Central Railway, 117 additional general coaches were introduced on 37 pairs of mail/express trains, benefiting over 10,000 passengers each day. The additional coaches started rolling out in June and July 2024, gaining momentum in November, with 81 new coaches added to 26 trains that month. Central Railway’s chief public relations officer, Dr. Swapnil Nila, stated that further augmentation of coaches is planned to better serve the growing passenger demand.
Western Railway also made significant strides, adding nearly 150 new general category coaches in the last six months. From July to December 2024, these coaches were attached to 78 pairs of trains, offering relief to thousands of passengers traveling without reservations. Vineet Abhishek, the Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, emphasized that the demand for general coaches is being addressed across all railway zones to ensure more capacity for unreserved passengers. Overall, the initiative is part of Indian Railways’ larger plan to modernize services and cater to the needs of its diverse passenger base. With 957 new general coaches attached to 385 pairs of trains, the railways aim to strike a balance between premium services and essential unreserved travel. This move is a step toward ensuring that all passengers, regardless of their class of travel, have access to comfortable and sufficient seating.
