Indian Railways boosts low-cost travel with record production of General and Non-AC coaches

New Delhi, Jan 6 Indian Railways has achieved record production of General and non-AC coaches equipped with modern passenger-friendly facilities to accommodate rising demand at affordable fares for the common man, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Railways on Tuesday.

Indian Railways has a robust coach production programme for the current and the next financial years to further strengthen and modernise its passenger fleet.

For the financial year 2025–26, which is already in its final quarter, the production plan provides for 4,838 new LHB GS and Non-AC coaches. For 2026–27, the production target is 4,802 LHB coaches. This planned production is aimed at meeting rising passenger demand while enhancing safety, comfort and the overall quality of train services, the statement said.

Amrit Bharat Express trains, fully non-AC services with Sleeper and General Class coaches, are providing high-quality travel at affordable fares. During 2025, 13 Amrit Bharat trains were introduced, taking the total operational services to 30. In addition, two Namo Bharat Rapid Rail services are operational between Bhuj–Ahmedabad and Jaynagar–Patna, strengthening high-frequency regional connectivity, the statement said.

Indian Railways has also strengthened ticketing integrity through Aadhaar verification and advanced technological monitoring to ensure that genuine passengers receive confirmed tickets. Only Aadhaar-verified users are allowed to book Tatkal tickets. Cutting-edge technology is also being used to identify and prevent unscrupulous users trying to misuse the e-ticketing system. As a result, 5.73 crore suspicious and inactive IRCTC user accounts have been deactivated or temporarily suspended, with further action ongoing, the statement added.

Passenger safety remains a top priority, with 84 per cent of funds allocated for safety-related works already utilised under the Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) outlays for 2025–26. Consequential train accidents have declined sharply from 135 in 2014-15 to 31 in 2024-25 and further to 11 in 2025-26 (up to November 2025), compared to an average of 171 per year during 2004–14. The safety budget has nearly tripled to Rs 1,16,470 crore in the current financial year. Fog safety devices have increased from 90 in 2014 to 25,939 in 2025, the statement added.

In order to manage the seasonal and festive rush, Indian Railways significantly scaled up special train operations in 2025. An all-time high of over 43,000 special train trips was operated, including 17,340 for Maha Kumbh, 1,144 for Holi, 12,417 Summer Specials, and 12,383 for Chhath Puja, ensuring smoother passenger movement and improved travel convenience during peak periods. These large-scale operations helped ease congestion, ensured smoother passenger movement and provided timely connectivity during periods of exceptionally high demand, the statement said.

Indian Railways has also identified 76 stations across the country for the development of passenger holding areas, following the successful implementation of the Yatri Suvidha Kendra at New Delhi Railway Station. The New Delhi holding area, completed in four months, can accommodate about 7,000 passengers and is equipped with toilets, ticketing facilities, automatic ticket vending machines, and free RO drinking water. The new holding areas will follow modular designs based on local conditions and are targeted for completion before the 2026 festival season to ensure smooth travel.

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