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rather than going for LP ALP guardless trains. even we can try crew set up such as person can work as ALP/guard/Assistant motorman and motorman/LP. a good amount of ALP recruitment should be done every year so that system goes good. if fact i suggest LP:ALP ratio to be 100:110 so that expansion of railways wont be issue. but how to compensate the cost. here are few methods:
1. Reduce zones to 8/9. make 15-18 divisions/zone. so higher officials numbers will be reduced. which can save plenty of tax money
2. RDSO based...
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coach production can be done. each year they can introduce better models and research can consider top engineering research scientists
3. No tax or service tax for the material procured for railway use.(diesel and electricity cost can be reduced to huge extension)
4. rationalizing fares to great extend.. Passenger and express fares need not be increased. SF can be 1.5 times of express and JS/ICE/special name(state SF SK types can be included here) trains 2.5 time fares of express RAJ/shatabhi 5 times fare of Express.
5. season ticket fare can be 12 days fare for month and 35 days fare for quarterly
6. ARP should be reduced to 30 and huge data load can be reduced.
7. Reduction of 1 AC First class wherever is unnecessary(i.e replace FC and H by HA1 or A series)
8. Tatkal fare can be twice amount of normal fare. and no RAC berths, all RAC berth can be alloted to WL passengers. 110 WL is limit. current booking can be done at tatkal fare
9. like GAIL SAIL seperate body for Railway construction. should be recruited to ESE civil and should work like most of govt enterprises.

True, they are not made for profits. But at the same time, the transport system should also ensure it's survival. Ticket pricing and other sources of revenue should be regulated such that the organization maintains a healthy financial state and has the funds to support expansion, better passenger facilities and should be able to sustain itself. After all, the railways is also an organization with limited funds. It can operate in losses to serve the passengers, but the losses should not be so high that a large part of the organization's revenues are just used up in covering the losses. They should not push the railways to the edge of bankruptcy.
Railways doesn't need to make a...
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profit from SL or UR class. But at least the ticket pricing needs to reflect the increasing operating costs so that the profit making portions like AC class travel and freight transport can still cover up the deficit.

Bhai IR is in loss because of it's own policies. It has acres of unutilized land. They can give these lands for rent.
The root cause for IR's loss is it's government owned, make it private and see it'll recover costs on the same fare. See in the case of Air India. The contemporaries of Air India like Go&Indigo have much cheaper Fares still running in profits and Government owned Air India is running in loss despite having a high fare.
Reason for loss is IR's mismanagement.
1)Trains...
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are being late for hours which increases the cost.
2)IR don't introduce trains and classes which earn money.
Just tell me one thing Despite having huge WLs why IR isn't increasing 3AC/2AC coaches in prestigious trains??or introducing ACSFs in crowded routes?