Lok Sabha Question No. 3864 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-09
Subject: Delay of Vaishali Train
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: HARISH DWIVEDI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3864 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2017

## DELAY OF VAISHALI TRAIN

†3864. SHRI HARISH CHANDRA ALIAS HARISH DWIVEDI:

## Will the Minister of RAILWAYS   be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Vaishali  Superfast  Train  running  between  New  Delhi  to Barauni  has  been  reportedly  running  late  continuously  for  the  last  few months;
- (b) if so, the reasons therefor; and
- (c) the steps taken by the Railways to run the above train at scheduled time to avoid inconvenience to the passengers, particularly MPs travelling in this train during the Parliament Session?

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

ANSWER ( SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN )

- (a)  &  (b)        While  most  of  the  trains  are  running  to  time,  some  trains, including 12553/12554 Muzaffarpur-New Delhi-Muzaffarpur Vaishali Express, at  times,  get  delayed  due  to  causes  some  of  which  are  in  the  control  of Railways, such as:-
- (1) asset  failures  related  to  locomotives,  over  head  equipment,  track, signal & coaches and wagon etc.,
- (2) saturated line capacity due to heavy  volumes  of freight and passenger  traffic leading to route congestion  in  sectors like DelhiGhaziabad-Kanpur-Lucknow-Gorakhpur-Chhapra, where line capacity utilization  is 110% to 160%.
- (3) blocks to be given for maintenance of fixed assets - tracks, signals, overhead equipment and for increasing line and terminal capacity, replacement of level crossings by limited height subways, and

(a)

(4)   Reasons beyond the  control of the Railways, such as security related law and order problems - observance of Bandhs and security threats in Left Wing Extremist areas involving sections  on East Central Railway such as 12553/12554 Muzaffarpur-New  Delhi-Muzaffarpur  Vaishali  Express  trains  traverse  which require reduction of speeds for maintaining the safety of operations - natural calamities,  public  agitations,  electricity  grid  failures,  bad  weather,  cattle

Hajipur-Muzaffarpur-Barauni section through which run over cases, heavy road traffic at level crossing gates etc. During  April-July  2017,  trains  in  the  LWE  (Left  Wing  Extremism)  affected areas in Bihar were forced to move at a reduced speed for about 50 days due  to  frequent  bandh  observance  by  Left  wing  extremists  having  a cascading effect on train operation in that area. (c) Indian Railways have initiated various short and long term measures for addressing the problem of capacity constraints on the congested routes of Bihar bound  trains  passing  through    Delhi-Ghaziabad-Kanpur-LucknowGorakhpur-Chhapra, sector of North Central Railway, Northern Railway and North Eastern Railway which include provision of automatic signaling from Aligarh  to  Ghaziabad  on  3 rd   line,  extension  of  platforms,  commissioning  of longer loop lines at 10 stations of Allahabad Division, raising of speed to 160 kmph on New Delhi- Mughalsarai route besides the construction of doubleline dedicated freight corridor (DFC) between Mughalsarai-Allahabad-Khurja, doubling  of  Chhapra-Muzaffarpur  section  and  electrification  of  LucknowGorakhpur-Chhapra-Barauni section. Further, Railways have initiated various measures such as launching of punctuality  drives,  sensitising  staff  involved  in  train  operations,  improving asset reliability, rectification of asset failures in the shortest possible time and having better co-ordination with State Governments and civil authorities to deal with law & order problems effectively etc.

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