Addressing the gathering during the MoU signing ceremony at Rail Bhavan here, he reiterated that Indian Railways is committed to providing affordable rail travel to the poor, lower middle, and middle class.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday announced that the national transporter plans to manufacture 10,000 non-AC coaches in the next two years.
Addressing the gathering during the MoU signing ceremony in Rail Bhavan here, he reaffirmed that Indian Railways remains committed to providing affordable rail travel to the poor, lower middle, and middle class.
Commitment to the Railway Workforce
He also urged 12 lakh railway employees across the country to work with dedication and maintain high morale.
Additionally, the minister urged railway workers to collaborate and ensure public faith in railways remains steadfast.
Expansion of Passenger Train Coaches
Vaishnaw informed about a special drive to manufacture around 2,500 new general passenger train coaches, with approval granted for another 10,000 such coaches.
The initiative by the Union government, the minister said, aims to enhance railway infrastructure across the country.
Amrit Bharat Trains Initiative
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, the Union Minister said manufacturing of another 50 Amrit Bharat trains has begun.
Last year, two such trains were flagged off from Malda and Darbhanga by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Prime Minister inaugurated two new Amrit Bharat trains — Darbhanga-Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Terminal Amrit Bharat Express and Malda Town-Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminus (Bengaluru) Amrit Bharat Express in December 2023.
He mentioned that the manufacturing process for another 150 Amrit Bharat trains has begun.
The Amrit Bharat train is an LHB (Linke-Hofmann-Busch) push-pull train with locomotives at both ends for better acceleration.
Managing Increased Summer Travel Demand
He added that over 10,000 special trains were operated nationwide to manage the summer rush this year. “Services, safety, and cleanliness have been properly prioritized,” the Minister said.
Discussing railway infrastructure, Vaishnaw stated that 5,300 km of tracks were added last year. So far this year, about 800 km have been added.
Rapid Advancement of the Kavach System
The rollout of the Kavach system is also advancing rapidly, he affirmed.
Kavach is a technology-intensive system that assists the loco pilot in maintaining specified speed limits by automatically applying brakes if the Loco Pilot fails to do so and also ensures safe train operation during adverse weather.
“The rolling stock plan for the next two years was approved Thursday by the railway board…This two-year program will address 17% of our current non-AC coach inventory,” an official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The composition of passenger trains, to be clear, depends on the route and service. For instance, some trains may be fully air-conditioned, some may have a few non-AC coaches, while others might have more non-AC than AC coaches.
The railways currently operate approximately 55,000 non-AC coaches, deployed across 11,000 pairs of trains.
“The demand for rail service is dynamic. The coach production program is based on seasonal variations and passenger traffic growth,” a railway board official stated.
The plan includes manufacturing 3,500 general seating coaches, 2,060 three-tier sleeper coaches, and 18 coaches for Amrit Bharat trains in each of the next two fiscal years, the official said.
The decision follows growing concerns about overcrowding, especially during peak travel months. In April, videos of unreserved passengers occupying AC coaches went viral on social media, prompting political debate.
Union railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had previously clarified that train compositions have remained standard, with 22 coaches per train since the introduction of new LHB (Linke Hofmann Busch) coaches.
According to railway data, passenger numbers hit a record high in April 2024, with 411 million journeys in the first three weeks alone, attributed to summer vacations, wedding season, and the general elections.
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