Railways takes key decision to cater to needs of 18 crore passengers

NEW DELHI: Indian Railways has been undergoing significant change in the last few years as they have introduced a range of new trains like Vande Bharat, Vande Bharat Metro, Vande Bharat Sleeper and bullet train. With modernization and the increase in trains for high-class travel, there are strong accusations that railways is ignoring the common man. The railways is coming up with plans to address this complaint.

Railways realizes that it is time for a change with increasing incidents of people boarding sleeper and AC coaches after taking general tickets and even local tickets. Such incidents have also resulted in people fighting it out inside trains. Railways' plan is to build more general coaches to resolve the issue.

Railways earlier planned to add sleeper and general coaches and few third AC coaches in long distance trains. But the new decision of the Railways is to make 4075 sleeper/general coaches out from 6325 LHB coaches to be built in the year 2024-25. The number of general class coaches will be increased from 1,171 to 2,000. The new coaches will be manufactured at Chennai Integral Coach Factory, Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala and Modern Coach Factory in Rae Bareli.

Railways while building general coaches to sell more high class tickets, ignored the needs of the common man. When new general coaches are built, they can accommodate 18 crore passengers across the country. The four second class coaches in long distance express trains were gradually reduced to two.

Railways is planning to upgrade the trains with two general coaches to four general class coaches. There are also plans to include general coaches in trains that do not have them.