I am writing from Phoenix, AZ and am currently in the MBA program here. I was quite impressed by the railways' financial turnaround, considering there was no increase in the fare. I do have a very serious albeit radical suggestion for the low-cost AC train service.
The "Garib Raths" that are currently being operated (recently introduced) for the poorer section of people, would still not serve the Indian railways too beneficial, even if they reap minimal profits. Many poor passengers don't get to access the trains, since most of it is already booked online (to which the poor have no access to).
With the "metro transit" concept booming in India, starting with the phenomenal success of the Delhi Metro, I suggest it would maker a lot of sense, if Mr. L P Yadav could introduce a no-coach A.C. train, that can ferry "poorer class" of people without space occupying coaches or seats, but still give them the comfort of air conditioned environment.
Tickets for such a super-low-cost A.C. train could be bought at a fixed price (like a general ticket. In other words, it would be a simple coach with minimal space occupying stuff in it, to accommodate maximum number of passengers, but with the air conditioned comfort, the poor people wouldn't mind crowding in.
Also, this would keep away the upper sections of the society from traveling (in these kind of trains), since they would have no coaches, and these would truly be meant for the poor
