Train numbering

On December 20, 2010, IR switched to a system of 5-

digit numbers
 The first digit indicates the type of the train:
◦ 0 for special trains (e.g. summer & holiday etc.)
◦ 1 for all long-distance trains, including the Rajdhani, Shatabdi,
Jan Sadharan, Sampark Kranti, Garib Rath, Duronto, and other
classes.
◦ 2 also used for long-distance trains when train numbers starting
with 1 get exhausted in any series.
 Train numbering

◦ 3 for Kolkata suburban trains.

◦ 4 for suburban trains in Chennai, New Delhi,
Secunderabad, and other metropolitan areas.
◦ 5 for passenger trains with conventional coaches
◦ 6 for MEMU trains
◦ 7 for DMU (DEMU) and railcar services.
◦ 8 currently reserved
◦ 9 for Mumbai area suburban trains
 Train numbering
Second and later digits
Significance of the IInd and later digitsdepends
on what the Ist digit is.
 Number series based on the first digit.
 If first digit is  0, 1 or 2, second digit (as given
below) indicate Railway and third digit Division

 0 for Konkan Railway

◦ 1 shared by CR, WCR and NCR
◦ 2 for super fasts, Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi and
some other classes of trains regardless of zones.
For these, the next digit is usually the zone code.
 Train numbering
Second digit……
◦ 3 shared by ER and ECR
◦ 4 for NR, NCR and NWR
◦ 5 for NER and NFR
◦ 6 for SR and SWR
◦ 7 for SCR and SWR
◦ 8 for SER and ECoR
◦ 9 for WR, NWR and WCR
 Up and Down Trains
Down: a train travelling away from Homing Railway
or Division whichever is closer. Up: a train travelling
towards its HQ or divisional HQ, whichever is closer.
 Usually the numbers for the "up" and "down" trains
differ by just 1.
As for the Shatabdis, the odd number indicates the
Down run and the even number for the Up run. E.g.
New Delhi - Bhopal Shatabdi is numbered 2001 DN
(away from Delhi) and 2002 UP (towards Delhi).
There are numerous exceptions to this scheme.
Interestingly, on the Ring Railway in New Delhi, the
clockwise direction is marked "up" in the timetables.
 Classification of coaching stock
Prefixes
◦ W : Vestibuled
◦ Y : Suburban Y: (suffix) With ladies compartment
◦ G : Self-generating A: EOG
◦ L : LHB coaches
Classes of accomodation
◦ F : First Class
◦ S : Second Class
◦ M : Military
Type of coach
◦ CN : 3-tier sleeper coach
◦ CW : 2-tier sleeper coach
◦ CZ : Chair car
◦ CB : Pantry/kitchen car/buffet car
◦ CR : State saloon
◦ AC : Air-conditioned
◦ RU : OHE inspection car
◦ RR : (in combination) End-on Generator car
◦ LL : Combined Luggage van and Lavatory (rare)
 Coach numbering
Coaches usually have a 4, 5, or 6-digit number.
◦ First two digits denote the year of construction/re-built/transfer
to Railway
◦ 3th digit denote Railway (in case of 5 digit)
Next 2 or 3 digits form a serially allotted number within
ranges that usually indicate the type of coach
- 001-025 : AC first class.
- 026-050 : Composite 1AC + AC-2T
- 051-100 : AC-2T - 101-150 : AC-3T
- 151-200 : CC (AC Chair Car) - 201-400 : SL (2nd sleeper)
- 401-600 : GS (General 2nd class)
- 601-700 : 2S (2nd class sitting / Jan Shatabdi chair cars)
- 701-800 : SLR
- 801+ : Pantry car, VPU, RMS mail coach, generator car, etc.
If there are more coaches of a particular type than numbers
available in the above allotted range, the excess coaches are
allotted numbers in the high 800's, usually 875 and above
 Coach numbering
Suffixes
 'X' indicates 110V DC (upgraded from the older 24V
systems).
 'A' or 'AB' indicates air-braked stock (frame-mounted or
bogie-mounted respectively)
 'C' indicates CBC couplers (as with the new LHB
coaches). On WR, EMU coaches have alphabetic prefixes
Passenger coaches are mainly manufactured at :
◦ Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at Perambur,
◦ Rail Coach Factory (RCF) at Kapurthala, and
◦ Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (BEML) at Bangalore. (Non-AC)
◦ Rail coach factory at Rae Bareilly (manufacturing yet to start)
◦ A few coaches are (or were) also manufactured by Hindustan
Aircraft Ltd. (HAL) and Jessop
 Coach holding
Railway- wise Coach holding

7000
6000
No of coaches

5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0

R
R

R
R

R
oR
R

R
NR

SR

ER

CR

R
R

NF
SC

EC

NC

C
SE

NE

C
SW
NW
W

EC

SE
W
Railway

AC coaches Non-AC coaches Total

 AC Coach holding
AC coaches
120, 2%
122, 2%
335, 4% 82, 1%
207, 3%
1712, 24%
335, 4%
309, 4%
396, 5%

454, 6% 764, 10%

315, 4%
514, 7%
561, 7%
705, 9%
591, 8%

NR SR SCR WR ER CR ECR SER

SWR NWR NFR NER ECoR NCR WCR SECR
 Non-AC Coach holding
Non-AC coaches NR
925, 3%854, 2% SR
270, 1% SCR
1465, 4%
4122, 11% WR
1800, 5%
ER
1700, 5% 4523, 11% CR
1835, 5% ECR
1894, 5% SER
3183, 9%
SWR
2598, 7%
NWR
2969, 8%
2882, 8% NFR
2971, 8%
2936, 8% NER
ECoR
NCR
WCR
 Total coaches holding
Total coaches NR
1045, 2% 976, 2% SR
352, 1%
1800, 4% SCR
5834, 13% WR
2007, 5%
ER
2035, 5%
5287, 12% CR
2144, 5% ECR
2290, 5% SER
3697, 8% SWR
3052, 7%
NWR
3674, 8%
3197, 7% NFR
3562, 8%
3497, 8% NER
ECoR
NCR
WCR
 Coaches key data
Coach type Tare Wt (T) Berth Cost (lacs)
LWFAC 43.3 24 198.44
LWACCW 44.5 52 197.06
LWACCN 45.6 72 194.5
FAC(LC) 48.80 24 174.81
ACCN(LC) 48.92 72 182.67
ACCW(LC) 54 160.76
SG ACCN 48.4 64 139.13
Power Car 217.29
SCN 66.14
ACCN (GR) 42.20 78 92.87
 Coaches key data
Coach type Paise/Psgr/Km Psgr carried for Km

FAC 241 608.9

ACCZ(exe) 243.8 372.5
ACCW 113.8 771.8
ACCN 96.3 731.4
ACCZ 98.6 374.3
SCN 32.5 767.5
ALL (Res) 46.0 638.8
All (Total) 26.1 124.5
 Coaches key data
Coach type Earning/yr/coach (lacs)

FAC 105.7
ACCW 82.73
ACCN 92.22
ACCZ 74.21
SCN 45.10