Strategy to increase railway fare
Most passenger trains have 20 coaches, of which about 10 are sleeper coaches (non AC). What Indian railways can do is introduce the new coaches some of which are being done with foreign collaboration. Instead of the presently in use 10 sleeper coaches, 5 of the new coaches can be introduced by substituting with the old ones so that there are 5 old and 5 new type coaches. Now, as the new coaches are much better in faciltities, passengers can be charges a premum of, say 20%, above the sleeper coach fare.
Over a period of time, passengers using these coaches would appreciate the better facilities, and more than willing to pay the premium fare. Sure enough, there would be demand for travelling in these coaches, and those travelling in the present sleeper coaches (and after seeing for themselves the new coaches) would shift to travelling in the new coaches by paying premium. Soon enough, the demand would be so much that the older sleeper coaches would have to be phased out and so would be the stagnant sleeper coach fares. more