Dear friend, IR took a very wise decision of stopping the production of non-ac first class long back !! and please don't rake up the issue again else it may tickle some big shot's fancy and we may see them again in IR trains!!!
Today, space is a premium not only in the big cities, but in trains too because number of travelers today are very high due to increased population/ businesses/ industries/ and traveling habits as compared to past. Supply of seats/berths in IR had been inadequate as compared to demand. (Market share of IR in total national passenger traffic has dropped from 75% in 1950 to 15 % today mainly due to inability of IR to provide accommodation to...
more... traveling public.) .
Earlier, when ac coaches did not prevail, non ac first class were commonly used by the riches. Today they travel comfortably in ACI, ACII. Keeping in view the normal temperatures in most of our country, and rising standard of living in India, today ac is very much a necessity then earlier thought of. No one would like to pay high fares for non ac first class.
Non ac first class is like a non ac version of a Mercedes car which will cost 48 lacs instead of ac version cost of 50lacs. How many takers this non ac version shall find is anybody's guess.
For Railways, non-ac first class shall be a big loss maker, as the collection per coach shall be very low due to only 26berths!