Lok Sabha Question No. 1712 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-30
Subject: Number of Passengers Travelling by Railways
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Kuldeep Indora

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1712 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.07.2025

## NUMBER OF PASSENGERS TRAVELLING BY RAILWAYS

## †1712. SHRI KULDEEP INDORA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the number of passengers travelled by Railways during the last seven years, year-wise;
- (b) whether the present number of passengers travelling by Railways has decreased as compared to the pre-Corona period;
- (c) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the  details  of  the  average  number  of  trains  operated  by  Indian Railways  across  the  country  everyday  during  the  year  2019  and  the year  2024  along  with  the  average  number  of  coaches  of  different classes in the said trains per day?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  to  (d):  During  the  last  7  years  (2018-19  to  2024-25),  total  4,193  Cr. passengers  travelled  in  Indian  Railways.    In  Financial  year  2020-21  and

2021-22 there was a drop in number of passengers due to COVID pandemic. Subsequently, it picked up.

Average no. of passenger trains per day for the year 2019-20 and 2024-25 is as under:

Table 1: Number of trains run daily:

| Year    | Average no. of passenger trains run daily   |
|---------|---------------------------------------------|
| 2019-20 | 13,169                                      |
| 2024-25 | 13,940                                      |

To provide greater accommodation for the passengers using General and non-AC  Sleeper  Coaches,  the  extant  policy  regarding  composition  of Mail/Express trains provides for 12 (Twelve) General class & Sleeper class non-  AC  coaches  and  08  (eight)  AC-Coaches,  in  a  train  of  22  coaches, thereby providing greater accommodation for the passengers using General and non-AC Sleeper Coaches.

Indian Railways (IR) have significantly increased the facilities for passengers demanding general class travel. During the last financial year 2024-25  alone,  1250  general  coaches  have  been  utilised  in  various  longdistance trains.

On IR, the percentage of non-AC coaches, is about 70% as indicated below:

Table 2: Distribution of coaches:

| Coach type                           | No. of Coaches   | Percentage   |
|--------------------------------------|------------------|--------------|
| Non-AC coaches (general and sleeper) | ~57,200          | ~70%         |
| AC coaches                           | ~25,000          | ~30%         |
| Total coaches                        | ~82,200          | 100%         |

Due  to  higher  availability  of  general  coaches,  the  number  of  passengers traveling in general/ unreserved coaches has shown an increasing trend as shown below:

Table 3: Passengers in general/unreserved coaches:

| Year    | No. of Passengers   |
|---------|---------------------|
| 2020-21 | 99 Cr (Covid year)  |
| 2021-22 | 275 Cr (Covid year) |
| 2022-23 | 553 Cr              |
| 2023-24 | 609 Cr              |
| 2024-25 | 651 Cr              |

The number of seats available for non-AC passengers has also increased over the years. The current composition is as follows:

Table 4: Distribution of seats:

| Seat Type    | No. of seats   | Percentage   |
|--------------|----------------|--------------|
| Non-AC seats | ~ 54 lakhs     | ~ 78%        |
| AC seats     | ~ 15 lakhs     | ~ 22%        |
| Total        | ~ 69 lakhs     | 100%         |

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