Why do Indian railways have yellow, white lines and red, blue, grey, brown coaches? every color has interesting reasons behind it

Indian Railways is the second-largest rail network in Asia and fourth-largest globally from which millions of passengers travel daily. While most of us have traveled by train, many of us might not be aware of the meaning of the colors painted on train coaches. These coloured stripes on train coaches are for some purposes and not only for decorations.

Meaning Behind Stripes

White Stripes: Painted above the last window of a blue ICF (Integral Coach Factory) coach, to show that it is a General Coaches.

Yellow Stripes: Shows that these coaches are reserved for disabled passengers or those who need medical assistance.

Grey Stripes: It’s only for women coaches with grey-on-grey backgrounds.

Red Stripes: Are for first-class coaches, usually with a grey background.

Blue Coaches: Represent ICF coaches, designed for speeds ranging from 70 to 140 km/h. These are commonly in Mail Express or Superfast trains.

Red Coaches: Are on in air-conditioned (AC) trains like the Rajdhani Express.
Green Coaches: Used for Garib Rath trains.
Brown Coaches: Are for meter-gauge trains.
Red stripes in Mumbai local trains are over grey coaches to highlight first-class compartments.

These stripes and colour codes play an important role, making train travel accessible and convenient for millions of passengers. So, the next time you board a train, you can understand the meaning behind the color painted outside of different coaches of Indian railways.

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