In the years to come, in keeping with India's reputation of being one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, there is every possibility that trains on the Indian Railways network will have more air-conditioned coaches than sleeper ones.
Officials, while agreeing that it is a long-term transition and could take a better part of the decade, said the first signs of this significant socio-economic change is now beginning to show in the travel patterns of the railways.
Railway statistics maintained by the statistics directorate of the railways show that between April 1, 2016 and March 10, 2017, 3AC coaches carried 17 per cent of all passengers in long-distance trains. These 3AC coaches however accounted for 32.60 per cent of all the earnings from passenger fares.
In contrast, Sleeper coaches carried 59.78 per cent passengers and contributed about 44.78 per cent of passenger earnings. Infact the numbers show that the predominance of Sleeper coach passengers is showing a downward trend. Last year the share of these coaches was 60.60 per cent of passengers and 45.94 per cent of earnings.
The 3AC class on the other hand showed a northward trend and increased its passenger share from 16.69 per cent last year to 17.15 per cent, and it increased its share in passenger earnings from 32.60 per cent last year to 33.65 per cent between April 1, 2017 and March 10, 2017.
In reply to a query by DNA on whether the railways would progressively move towards 3AC trains on more routes, Railway Board Member (Traffic) Mohammad Jamshed replied in the affirmative. "Yes of course, 3AC shall be gradually increased," Jamshed said.
According to officials, the performance of Humsafar trains, which are trains with only 3AC coaches, over the next few months will make the picture clearer. "India's aviation market is the fastest growing in the world. We just crossed Japan this year as the nation with the third highest number of domestic air-travellers. That is a good benchmark for the increasing upward mobility of Indians. In such a scenario, the effect of economic progress will play its part on train travel patterns as well. The process of the sleeper class going downward and more passengers travelling by AC classes has begun and will get more pronounced in the years to come," explained a senior railway official.
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