And what is the source of the fare between 2004 and 2020? Don't cherry pick data, sleeper class fares have also nearly doubled between 2004 and 2020....And in all this debate of profitability, don't forget that Railways is not a for profit, private organization...It is for the welfare of the people of the country, govt. has a responsibility for that....Govt. collects taxes for this purpose
Also, if the subsidy percentage in sleeper class has increased, they can look at increasing the fares slightly....shutting down sleeper class is not the solution