Lok Sabha Question No. 5086 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-24
Subject: Punctuality of Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Bhagwanth Khuba, Ashok Kumar Rawat, Rajendra Agrawal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5086 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2019

## PUNCTUALITY OF TRAINS

5086. SHRI BHAGWANTH KHUBA: SHRI ASHOK KUMAR RAWAT: SHRI RAJENDRA AGRAWAL:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  cognizance  of  passenger  trains running  too  late  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the percentage of such trains that ran late during the year 2018-19;
- (b) the zone-wise average delay of such train routes during last year;
- (c) whether such trains are halted at outer signals due to non-availability of platforms at the railway stations which is one of the reasons for the trains running late and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the Government  is contemplating to introduce proper monitoring system of platforms to ensure running of passenger trains as per their schedule; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*****

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a)  TO  (e)  OF  UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.  5086  BY  SHRI  BHAGWANTH  KHUBA,  SHRI  ASHOK  KUMAR RAWAT AND SHRI RAJENDRA AGRAWAL TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 24.07.2019 REGARDING PUNCTUALITY OF TRAINS

(a) and (b)    Indian Railways (IR) constantly endeavour to run trains punctually. However, trains do lose punctuality due to internal factors  (mainly attributable to  equipment  failures  related  to  locomotives,  Over-Head  Electrical  cables, track, signals, coaches and wagons; and   saturated line capacity, etc), as well as  external  factors  (like  electricity  grid  failures,  public  agitation,  adverse weather conditions, etc.) of which Railways are not in control.  The zone-wise percentage and average per day number of trains which were delayed during 2018-19, is as under:-

| Zonal Railway      | 2018-19 (Percentage (%))   | 2018-19 (Percentage (%))   | 2018-19 (Average no of trains per day)   | 2018-19 (Average no of trains per day)   |
|--------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| Zonal Railway      | Mail/Express               | Passenger                  | Mail/Express                             | Passenger                                |
| Central            | 13.58                      | 33.95                      | 43                                       | 65                                       |
| East Coast         | 24.41                      | 33.54                      | 33                                       | 35                                       |
| East Central       | 35.83                      | 52.79                      | 98                                       | 178                                      |
| Eastern            | 27.46                      | 30.69                      | 50                                       | 90                                       |
| Konkan             | 22.87                      | 23.05                      | 9                                        | 5                                        |
| North Central      | 52.68                      | 61.59                      | 179                                      | 134                                      |
| North Eastern      | 30.52                      | 41.02                      | 51                                       | 101                                      |
| Northeast Frontier | 26.01                      | 24.46                      | 26                                       | 38                                       |
| Northern           | 40.36                      | 51.74                      | 224                                      | 346                                      |
| North Western      | 15.98                      | 11.26                      | 26                                       | 24                                       |
| South Central      | 18.79                      | 29.45                      | 52                                       | 99                                       |
| South East Central | 45.09                      | 12.01                      | 33                                       | 18                                       |
| South Eastern      | 22.85                      | 7.08                       | 36                                       | 15                                       |
| Southern           | 22.19                      | 18.34                      | 61                                       | 63                                       |
| South Western      | 23.04                      | 12.44                      | 35                                       | 22                                       |
| West Central       | 26.32                      | 39.31                      | 72                                       | 44                                       |
| Western            | 8.54                       | 14.91                      | 18                                       | 44                                       |

(c) to (e)  Platforms at major terminals are nominated for trains as per platform berthing charts.  Scheduled platform berthing of trains gets disturbed due to late  running  of  certain  trains  on  account  of  various  reasons  sometimes resulting in detention to other trains at signals for non availability of platforms. Punctuality of passenger  carrying  trains including  Mail/Express  and Superfast  trains  is  being  monitored  rigorously  on  a  daily  basis  at  Divisional, Zonal  and  Railway  Board  levels  by  Divisional  Railway  Managers  (DRMs), General Managers (GMs) and Railway Board Members and Senior officers.  To ensure running of these trains right time when pairing trains are running late, scratch rakes are inducted and rakes are standardized to the extent operationally  feasible.  Also,  various  steps  have  been  initiated  to  improve punctuality  such  as  prioritization  of  preventive  maintenance  of  assets  to minimize  asset  failures,  capacity  enhancement  projects  by  construction  of additional loop lines at stations, doubling, construction of third line corridors, automatic  signaling,  construction  of  limited  height  subways  to  replace  level crossings,  Road  Under  Bridges  (RUB)  and  Road  Over  Bridges  (ROB),  etc. Besides, punctuality drives are launched from time to time and staff involved in train  operations  are  sensitized.  In  addition,  Zonal  Railways  have  also  been advised to have better coordination with Civil and Police authorities of States to deal with situations arising out of law and order problems.

*****