Lok Sabha Question No. 665 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-04-27
Subject: Increase in number of General Coaches
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: RITI PATHAK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO. 665 TO  BE  ANSWERED ON 27.04.2016

## INCREASE IN NUMBER OF GENERAL COACHES

†665.    SHRIMATI RITI PATHAK:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)      the details of the number of passengers travelling in the general coaches, third AC and other categories including the ratio of revenue earned from these categories;
- (b)        whether  more passengers travel in general coaches  of most of the trains than any other category of coaches and the Railways earn same  revenue  from  these  coaches  as  from  sleeper  and  third  AC coaches and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)     whether the Government proposes to provide more facilities to the passengers travelling in general coaches and also to increase the number of general coaches; and
- (d)    if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

(a) to (d)  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.665 ASKED BY SHRIMATI RITI PATHAK TO

BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 27.04.2016 REGARDING INCREASE IN NUMBER OF GENERAL COACHES.

(a) & (b)  The number of passengers travelling in the general coaches, third AC and other categories/classes and the ratio of their respective revenue earned during 2014-15 is as follows:-

| Class         |   No. of Passengers (in millions) |   % of Total Revenue |
|---------------|-----------------------------------|----------------------|
| General class |                              7342 |                 38.1 |
| III AC        |                                78 |                 18.3 |
| Other classes |                               804 |                 43.6 |

As per details given above, in most of the trains more passengers travel in the General Compartment than in any other compartment and Railway's average classwise income from a General Compartment is lesser than that from a 3 rd   AC  Compartment  and  that  from  a compartment of other categories.

- ( c) & (d)  As part of the continual improvement in passenger amenities in trains, following actions have been taken by Indian Railways :
- (i) Provision of cushioned seats/berths in General Second Class non Air Conditioned coaches.
- (ii) Besides making provision of dustbins, it has also been decided to provide stainless steel mugs with chain arrangement in non Air Conditioned coaches including General Second Class coaches.

During the period 2015-16, total  1022  coaches  have  been attached  in  existing  trains  on  permanent  basis,  out  of  which  402 coaches are General Class coaches, which is about 40% of the total augmentations done during the period.

Further,  Indian  Railways,  in  the  Railway  Budget  2016-17,  have proposed  to  introduce  the  Antyodaya  Express,  a  long  distance,  fully unreserved,  superfast  train  service,  and  also  add  two  to  four  Deen Dayalu coaches  (General Class coaches) in some long distance trains for  unreserved  travel  to  enhance  the  Railways'  carrying  capacity  of unreserved passengers.

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