Lok Sabha Question No. 1735 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-30
Subject: Reduction in Number of Sleeper Class Coaches in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Dr. Ganapathy Rajkumar P

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1735 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.07.2025

## REDUCTION IN NUMBER OF SLEEPER CLASS COACHES IN TAMIL NADU

1735. DR. GANAPATHY RAJKUMAR P:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  fact  that  many  number  of Sleeper  Class  (SL)  coaches  has  been  reduced  in  many  trains  running across Tamil Nadu;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with reasons for reducing SL coaches in many trains;
- (c) whether the Government has received any representations from railway passengers' associations to add more SL coaches in these trains for the convenience of middle-class families and common people; and (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

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

Table 1: Distribution of coaches:

| Coach type                           | No. of Coaches   | Percentgage   |
|--------------------------------------|------------------|---------------|
| 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 2: 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 3: Distribution of seats:

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

Further, as the Railway network straddles across State boundaries, trains are operated/augmented, as per network requirement, across such boundaries.

As on 01.04.2025, the total number of coaches held, for trains operations, by Southern Railway (which primarily serves the State of Tamil Nadu), has a holding of around 5,300 coaches for train operations, of which around 1400 coahces ( i.e. 26%) coaches are AC while 3900 (i.e.74%) coaches are non-AC coaches (General and Sleeper).

During  2024-25,  Southern  Railway  has  attached  167  un-reserved  class coaches in 132 Mail/Express trains by replacing 138 AC coaches and 29 sleeper coaches for the convenience of common people.

Moreover,  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.

Railways  have  developed  a  fully  non-AC  modern  train  named  as  Amrit Bharat express. Presently, 14  Amrit Bharat  services are in operation. These  modern  trains  have  advanced  features  like  Semi-Permanent couplers for jerk free travel, horizontal sliding windows, foldable snack tables and bottle holders, mobile holders etc.  These trains comprise 8 Sleeper Class coaches and 11 General Class coaches.

Further, to cater  to  the  needs  of  passengers  desirous  of  availing unreservedaccommodation, Indian Railways (IR) operate unreserved nonAC passenger trains/ MEMU / EMU etc. for affordable travel, which are in addition to the unreserved accommodation (coaches) available in Mail/Express services. By    introducing    Amrit  Bharat  Express  trains,  manufacturing  of  MEMU trains,  and  by  executing  a  special manufacturing programme for 17,000 non-AC general/sleeper coaches over the next 5 years, Indian Railways is committed to effectively cater to the travel demand of the low and middle income families who prefer  to travel by Railways as an affordable means of transportation.

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