How has Indian Railways's passenger travel changed over the years?
Between 2019 and 2025, Indian Railways carried a staggering 3,349 crore people—most of them in unreserved compartments.
Demand for trains isn't steady though; it spikes big time during festivals and special events.
Extra trains for extra travelers
To keep up with festival crowds, the railways rolled out nearly 8,000 extra trains just for Durga Puja and Diwali in late 2024, helping almost two crore travelers get home.
For Maha Kumbh in early 2025, over 17,000 more trains moved more than four crore people.
Basically, they go all out when India travels together.
General travel makes a comeback
After COVID-19 restrictions eased up, general (unreserved) travel made a strong comeback—from just under one billion (99 crore) riders in FY21 to over six times that by FY25.
Still, total passenger numbers haven't quite reached pre-pandemic highs yet—but the upward trend shows Indians are back on board.