Lok Sabha Question No. 537 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-06
Subject: Punctuality of Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: KULAMANI SAMAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.537 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.02.2019

## PUNCTUALITY OF TRAINS

537. DR. KULAMANI SAMAL:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

(a) the number of mail, express and superfast trains that are being run by the Railways, daily and how many of these reach their destination on time;

(b)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  these  trains  are  not  running  on  time  and reaching  destination  very  late  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the reasons therefor, railway zone-wise;

(c)  whether  it  is  also  a  fact  that  mail,  express  and  superfast  trains originating from different stations in Odisha are not given due importance and are deliberately delayed in other railway zones and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the system in place and the measures taken by the Government to ensure that mail, express and superfast trains reach their destination as per the time table?

## 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.

*****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 537 BY DR. KULAMANI SAMAL TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 06.02.2019 REGARDING PUNCTUALITY OF TRAINS

(a)  and (b) Zone-wise number of Superfast trains/Mail/Express scheduled, reported, reached their destination right time and were late during the period 2018-19 (April to to January 2019) is as under:-

|                    | Superfast   | Superfast   | Superfast   | Superfast   | Mail/Express   | Mail/Express   | Mail/Express   | Mail/Express   |
|--------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
| Zonal Railway      | Scheduled   | Reported    | Right Time  | Late        | Scheduled      | Reported       | Right Time     | Late           |
| Central            | 19904       | 19309       | 15228       | 4081        | 21115          | 20328          | 16150          | 4178           |
| East Coast         | 6648        | 6535        | 5403        | 1132        | 10478          | 10201          | 8279           | 1922           |
| East Central       | 6612        | 6528        | 5441        | 1087        | 25393          | 23837          | 17429          | 6408           |
| Eastern            | 9389        | 9263        | 7749        | 1514        | 20139          | 19549          | 17270          | 2279           |
| Konkan             | 702         | 694         | 354         | 340         | 1486           | 1409           | 987            | 422            |
| North Central      | 4951        | 4661        | 4076        | 585         | 8254           | 7731           | 5687           | 2044           |
| North Eastern      | 4927        | 4502        | 3275        | 1227        | 17491          | 16489          | 12225          | 4264           |
| Northeast Frontier | 2687        | 2631        | 1741        | 890         | 17534          | 16988          | 11875          | 5113           |
| Northern           | 31978       | 30799       | 25514       | 5285        | 47997          | 44811          | 33933          | 10878          |
| North Western      | 11594       | 11378       | 8757        | 2621        | 12983          | 12695          | 9541           | 3154           |
| South Central      | 13635       | 13039       | 10396       | 2643        | 20610          | 19814          | 15594          | 4220           |
| South East Central | 2036        | 2006        | 1641        | 365         | 5754           | 5589           | 3956           | 1633           |
| South Eastern      | 10841       | 10740       | 8702        | 2038        | 11198          | 11000          | 8009           | 2991           |
| Southern           | 26958       | 26470       | 21257       | 5213        | 29483          | 28429          | 23408          | 5021           |
| South Western      | 7503        | 7416        | 5589        | 1827        | 17753          | 17312          | 13695          | 3617           |
| West Central       | 6895        | 6807        | 5021        | 1786        | 6118           | 5947           | 4151           | 1796           |
| Western            | 18751       | 18572       | 15774       | 2798        | 17155          | 16812          | 13971          | 2841           |

2

/

-

- (c)      The trains are losing punctuality on Indian Railways including in Odhisa  due  to  the  factors  related  to  its  internal  working  as  well  as external factors of which Railways are not in control. Other than asset failures, various constraints/difficulties which adversely affect punctuality  are  numerous  such  as  -  line  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.  This  year  large  number  of  track maintenance works and infrastructural works are being undertaken all over Indian Railways leading to excessive speed restrictions.
- (d)        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.

*****