New Delhi: The Railway Board is planning to introduce non-air conditioned, general category trains to cater to low-income groups such as migrant workers and laborers nationwide.
This move follows a study that identified states with a significant number of low-income passengers facing long waitlisted ticket periods.
Previously, such special trains were only operated during festivals or peak seasons. With overcrowding in passenger trains becoming a concern, it has been proposed to make such arrangement a permanent fixture.
The new trains, which are likely to start running from January 2024, will be of non-air-conditioned LHB coaches and will have only sleeper and general class service. Railways are yet to come up with a name for these trains.
Earlier, during the coronavirus crisis, the Railways had run migrant special trains for workers to return to their native places.
Trains to run from UP, Bihar, Jharkhand other states
According to the Railway Board, the new special trains are being planned for states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, West Bengal, Punjab, Assam, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh.
Most of the skilled-unskilled workers, artisans, labourers and others from these states go to metros and big cities for work, officials said.
“Trains will be run for these people in which only sleeper-general class coaches will be engaged.
“The migrant special trains will have a minimum of 22 to a maximum of 26 coaches. These will be run permanently throughout the year instead of seasonally,” said an official.
They will also be included in the regular timetable, enabling passengers to make reservations in advance.
In another development, officials said that to make Indian Railways future-ready, only two kinds of coaches will be kept in service eventually – LHB coaches and the others with Vande Bharat coaches.
Currently, there are 28 types of coaches in service.
“This will reduce the repair cost. And travel will be cheaper,” an official said.
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