Lok Sabha Question No. 265 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-12
Subject: Punctuality of Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Adhikari Dibyendu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 265 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.12.2018

## PUNCTUALITY OF TRAINS

265. SHRI DIBYENDU ADHIKARI:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  chronic  train  delays  are  the  common problems of the Railways;
- (b)  if so, the reasons behind late running of trains;
- (c) the zone-wise delay reports of trains during the last two years with quarterly average; and
- (d) the action taken by the Railways to maintain punctuality of trains particularly during the winter/foggy season?

ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS ( SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN )

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.  265  BY  SHRI  DIBYENDU  ADHIKARI  TO  BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 12.12.2018 REGARDING PUNCTUALITY OF TRAINS.

(a)  and (b)  Trains get delayed not only due to the factors related to its internal working but also external factors which are beyond the control of Railways.    In  addition  to  asset  failures,  certain  factors  such  as  line capacity  and  terminal  capacity  constraints  on  account  of  increasing passenger  and  freight  traffic,  adverse  weather  conditions  (fog,  rains, breaches), intermittent natural calamities such as floods, cyclones, heavy rains,  heavy  road  traffic  at  level  crossing  gates  across  the  Indian Railways  network,  mid-section  run  over  cases  involving  cattle  and humans  etc.  also  adversely  affect  the  Punctuality  of  trains  over  Indian Railways.

(c)  The zone-wise quarterly average trains delayed for the last two years and current year (April-September 2018) is as under:-

|                    | Quarterly average trains delayed during 2016-17   | Quarterly average trains delayed during 2016-17   | Quarterly average trains delayed during 2016-17   | Quarterly average trains delayed during 2016-17   |
|--------------------|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| Zone               | April-June                                        | July- September                                   | October- December                                 | January- March                                    |
| Central            | 614                                               | 536                                               | 548                                               | 894                                               |
| East Coast         | 906                                               | 516                                               | 904                                               | 1109                                              |
| East Central       | 2468                                              | 2769                                              | 3730                                              | 3816                                              |
| Eastern            | 330                                               | 432                                               | 525                                               | 647                                               |
| Konkan             | 75                                                | 134                                               | 180                                               | 219                                               |
| North Central      | 4626                                              | 4821                                              | 6027                                              | 6268                                              |
| North Eastern      | 571                                               | 793                                               | 1370                                              | 1512                                              |
| Northeast Frontier | 245                                               | 249                                               | 452                                               | 329                                               |
| Northern           | 3368                                              | 3750                                              | 5766                                              | 4885                                              |
| North Western      | 230                                               | 130                                               | 352                                               | 357                                               |
| South Central      | 303                                               | 230                                               | 300                                               | 352                                               |
| South East Central | 309                                               | 157                                               | 326                                               | 462                                               |
| South Eastern      | 331                                               | 177                                               | 216                                               | 301                                               |
| Southern           | 686                                               | 924                                               | 1360                                              | 1300                                              |
| South Western      | 204                                               | 137                                               | 197                                               | 270                                               |
| West Central       | 788                                               | 791                                               | 969                                               | 1364                                              |
| Western            | 315                                               | 227                                               | 227                                               | 267                                               |

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| Zone               | Quarterly average trains delayed during 2017-18   | Quarterly average trains delayed during 2017-18   | Quarterly average trains delayed during 2017-18   | Quarterly average trains delayed during 2017-18   | Quarterly average trains delayed during 2018-19   | Quarterly average trains delayed during 2018-19   |
|--------------------|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| Zone               | April- June                                       | July- September                                   | October- December                                 | January- March                                    | April- June                                       | July- September                                   |
| Central            | 614                                               | 959                                               | 1072                                              | 1158                                              | 1561                                              | 520                                               |
| East Coast         | 1162                                              | 696                                               | 838                                               | 1380                                              | 1244                                              | 415                                               |
| East Central       | 3280                                              | 2586                                              | 3503                                              | 4296                                              | 4146                                              | 1382                                              |
| Eastern            | 738                                               | 386                                               | 668                                               | 2136                                              | 2088                                              | 696                                               |
| Konkan             | 168                                               | 219                                               | 446                                               | 336                                               | 313                                               | 104                                               |
| North Central      | 4463                                              | 3872                                              | 5075                                              | 5967                                              | 5736                                              | 1912                                              |
| North Eastern      | 1024                                              | 861                                               | 1286                                              | 2100                                              | 2048                                              | 683                                               |
| Northeast Frontier | 284                                               | 209                                               | 429                                               | 1069                                              | 988                                               | 329                                               |
| Northern           | 3325                                              | 3680                                              | 7622                                              | 8542                                              | 8474                                              | 2825                                              |
| North Western      | 226                                               | 285                                               | 842                                               | 957                                               | 687                                               | 229                                               |
| South Central      | 449                                               | 360                                               | 556                                               | 1693                                              | 2191                                              | 730                                               |
| South East Central | 309                                               | 265                                               | 540                                               | 621                                               | 969                                               | 323                                               |
| South Eastern      | 394                                               | 208                                               | 358                                               | 797                                               | 1100                                              | 367                                               |
| Southern           | 1201                                              | 1032                                              | 1870                                              | 2212                                              | 2579                                              | 860                                               |
| South Western      | 255                                               | 212                                               | 389                                               | 922                                               | 1043                                              | 348                                               |
| West Central       | 1102                                              | 831                                               | 1211                                              | 1705                                              | 2331                                              | 777                                               |
| Western            | 328                                               | 382                                               | 789                                               | 708                                               | 590                                               | 197                                               |

- (d)      Punctuality  of  passenger  carrying  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 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.

The  following  actions  have  been  taken  by  Indian  Railways  to prevent unnecessary delay and for smooth and safe movement of trains especially during winter/fog:

- (i) Adequate availability of detonators at stations.
- (ii) Lime marking across the track at the Warning/Sighting Board.
- (iii)
- Signal
- Fresh painting of the Signal Warning (Sighting Board).
- (iv) Fresh  painting  of  Whistle  Board,  Fog  Signal  Posts,  Road Signs, Lifting barriers of busy level crossings with Yellow/Black luminous indication strips.
- (v) Adequate  availability  of  additional  staff  for  placement  of detonators either from the Engineering Department or from the Operating Department.
- (vi) Display of flashing red light tail lamp at the last vehicle of trains even during day time if the dense fog persists in lieu of tail boards in normal working.
- (vii) Counseling of staff involved in train operation.
- (viii) Intensive,  round  the  clock  monitoring  of  trains  is  done during  fog  at  all  three  levels  viz.,  Divisional,  Zonal  Head Quarter and Railway Board to ensure their punctuality.
- (ix) To ensure running of trains right time when pairing trains are running late, scratch rakes are inducted to the extent operationally feasible.
- (x) To  avoid  delay  of  trains  due  to  foggy  weather  and  to enhance  level  of safety in  automatic  block  signaling sections affected by fog, the modified automatic signaling has been introduced which allows only two trains between stations.
- (xi) In addition, technological advancements with respect to signaling are also being undertaken.

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