Lok Sabha Question No. 60 (STARRED), answered on 2019-02-06
Subject: Delay of Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.60 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.02.2019

## DELAY OF TRAINS

†*60. SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT: DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

(a) whether despite claims made by the Government, the problem of delay in running  of  trains  has  not  been  solved  and  if  so,  the  reaction  of  the Government thereto;

(b)  the  number  of  trains  which  ran  late  or  reached  their  destinations  late during the last three months along with the number of days on which they ran late or reached their destinations late and the reasons therefor;

(c)  whether  the  Government  has  been  unable  to  streamline  the  signalling system  and  make  arrangements  for  smooth  running  of  trains  in  foggy conditions;

(d) if so, the reasons therefor along with the views of the Government in this regard; and

(e) the steps being taken by the Railways for timely departure of trains from source station, their timely arrival at destinations and proper functioning of the signalling system in foggy conditions?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COAL, FINANCE AND CORPORATE AFFAIRS

(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  STARRED QUESTION NO. 60 BY SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT AND DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH  SHINDE  TO  BE ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  06.02.2019 REGARDING DELAY OF TRAINS

(a)  to  (e)  Punctuality  of  trains  is  accorded  a  priority  by  Indian  Railways. However, few trains at times, 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,  train  running  and  punctuality  is affected by factors such as line capacity and terminal capacity constraints on  account  of  historical  neglect  in  investing  in  Railway  infrastructure, 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, law & order problems, miscreant activities such as theft of  Railway  assets,  mid-section  run  over  cases  involving  cattle  and  humans etc.  The punctuality performance of Mail/Express trains which were late and reached right time, lost minutes for the last three months  and comparison with corresponding period of last year is as under:-

|          | Trains run   | Trains run   | Trains run   | Trains run   | Reached destination right time   | Reached destination right time   | Reached destination right time   | Reached destination right time   | Reached destination right time   | Trains run late   | Trains run late   | Trains run late   | Trains run late   | Trains run late   |
|----------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
| Month    | 2017-18      | 2017-18      | 2018-19      | 2018-19      | 2017-18                          | 2017-18                          | 2017-18                          | 2018-19                          | 2018-19                          | 2017-18           | 2017-18           | 2018-19           | 2018-19           |                   |
|          | Total        | Avg per day  | Total        | Avg per day  | Total                            | Avg per day                      | %                                | Total                            | Avg per day                      | %                 | Total             | Avg per day       | Total             | Avg per day       |
| November | 47773        | 1592         | 50153        | 1672         | 30885                            | 1030                             | 64.6                             | 35648                            | 1188                             | 71.08             | 16888             | 563               | 14505             | 484               |
| December | 47999        | 1548         | 50099        | 1616         | 30719                            | 991                              | 64                               | 33968                            | 1096                             | 67.80             | 17280             | 557               | 16131             | 520               |
| January  | 47462        | 1531         | 49451        | 1595         | 26769                            | 864                              | 56.4                             | 35433                            | 1143                             | 71.65             | 20693             | 668               | 14018             | 452               |

|          | Total lost minutes   | Total lost minutes   | Avg per day   | Avg per day   |
|----------|----------------------|----------------------|---------------|---------------|
| Months   | 2017-18              | 2018-19              | 2017-18       | 2018-19       |
| November | 3552965              | 2106708              | 118432        | 70224         |
| December | 2977504              | 2219494              | 96049         | 71597         |
| January  | 4975279              | 1573551              | 160493        | 50760         |

To  avoid  delay  of  trains  in  foggy  weather  and  to  enhance  level  of safety  when  running  in  automatic  block  signalling  sections,  a  modified automatic signalling system has been introduced in Northern Railway and North Central Railway which restricts the number of trains to two between two stations during foggy season.

Further,  Railways  are  implementing  the  provision  of  Automatic  Train Protection  (ATP)  system  in  selected  sections.  These  systems  have  the facility of displaying movement authority in front of the Loco Pilot in the cab. This  helps  Loco  Pilot  to  run  the  train  confidently  even  during  impaired visibility.  The types of ATP systems working /in-progress are:-

- (I)  Train  Protection  and  Warning  System:  Train  Protection  and  Warning System  (TPWS)  based  on  European  Technology  ETCS  Level-1,  a  proven Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System to avoid train accident /collision on account of human error of Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD) or over speeding, has been provided on
- i) Noapara - Kavi Subhash section of Kolkata Metro (28 RKMs).
- ii) Chennai  -  Gumidipundi  suburban  section  of  Southern  Railway  (50 RKMs), Basin Bridge - Arrakkonam section of Southern Railway (67 RKMs).
- iii) Hazrat  Nizamuddin  -  Agra  section  of  Northern/North  Central  Railway (200 RKMs).
- (II) Auxiliary Warning System (AWS): An ATP called Auxiliary Warning System (AWS) is presently    functional on 413 RKMs in the Mumbai suburban section of Central Railway (289 RKMs) and Western Railway (124 RKMs).
- (III)  Train  Collision  Avoidance  System  (TCAS):  It  is  an  Automatic  Train Protection  (ATP)  System  being  developed  in  association  with  3  Indian manufacturers.  The system has been installed on Lingampalli - Vikarabad Wadi, Vikarabad - Bidar section (250 RKMs) on SCR. Extensive field trials and safety  validation  of  the  system  to  Safety  Integrity  Level  4  (SIL-4)  by Independent Safety Assessors (ISA) is in progress.

(IV) European Train Control System Level-2: After extensive deliberations, 4 works of modernization of signalling system on 640 RKMs on for extensive trials  of  systems  like  European  Train  Control  System  (ETCS  L-2)  has  been sanctioned  in  the  Supplementary  Works  Programme  2018-19  on  Golden Quadrilateral/ Diagonal routes. To ensure right time start from the originating stations,  Railways  have  been  taking  various  measure  including  making available spare rakes and standardizing of rakes.

In  order  to  address  the  issue  of  punctuality,  Railways  has  taken numerous steps include:

- (i) Rigorous monitoring at Divisional, Zonal and Railway Board levels. (ii) Standardization  of  rakes  and  provision  of  spare  rakes  to  improve punctuality. (iii) Removal of infrastructure bottlenecks in a planned manner. (iv) Integrated  Mega  Blocks  are  planned  in  such  a  way  that  all  asset maintenance departments can do their work simultaneously. (v) End  to  end  running  of  some  trains  with  diesel  locomotives  to  avoid detention on account of loco changing from diesel to electric. (vi) Conversion of conventional rakes of Mail/Express trains (Integral Coach Factory rakes) into LHB (Linke Hofmann Busch) rakes. (vii) Rationalization of Time Table in order to make a group of similar speed trains. (viii) Curtailment of stoppage time at major terminals. Fencing  along  the  track  in  Allahabad  division  in  the  most  cattle  run
- (ix) over prone area.

(x) Commissioning of 1 st   phase of Dedicated Freight Corridor. (xi) Allahabad -Mughalsarai 3 rd  line work sanctioned (153 Kms.) (xii) High capacity water pumps at watering stations to minimize detention on this account. (xiii) Provision of Bye-pass stations to avoid engine reversal etc.

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