Lok Sabha Question No. 2056 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-09
Subject: Punctuality of Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: YERRAM VENKATA SUBBAREDDY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2056 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2016

## PUNCTUALITY OF TRAINS

2056. SHRI Y.V. SUBBA REDDY:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Railways has conducted any audit of train operations to address  the  perennial  problem  of  late  running  of  trains  on  certain sections of the Indian Railways;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with its outcome;
- (c) the sections which account for maximum late running of trains, zonewise;
- (d) the fresh steps taken  by  the Railways  to improve  its overall performance  including    arresting  the  decline  in  passenger  and  freight traffic;
- (e) whether there are any plans to provide incentives for running trains on time  which  will  not  only  improve  the  performance  of  Railways  but  also increase  its  revenue  and  passenger  and  goods  business  and  if  so,  the details thereof; and
- (f)  whether  the  Railways  is  sensitizing  its  staff  involved  in  railway operations towards punctuality and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## ( SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a)  &  (b)  No,  Madam.  However, Railway is in the process of getting the audit of train operations conducted particularly over MughalsaraiAllahabad-Kanpur-Ghaziabad section of Allahabad division of North

Central Railway primarily due to major operational problems resulting in late running of passenger carrying trains in the above section. (c) On Indian Railways, trains delays have been felt most on MughalsaraiAllahabad-Kanpur-Ghaziabad-Delhi sector, which is facing severe capacity constraints with line capacity utilization being 150%. This sector connects the northern parts of the country to the rest of India and deals with  not  only  passenger  traffic  but  also  freight  traffic  including  raw materials, coal, petroleum products, food grains, fertilizer, steel, exportimport oriented container traffic etc. A number of steps have been taken to improve the punctuality of Mail Express trains on this route which has improved the punctuality position of North Central Railway as a whole to almost 50% in February 2016 from 42% [cumulative for the financial year 2015-2016 (upto February, 2016)].

- (d)  Various  measures  have  been  taken  by  the  Railways  to  arrest  the decline in passenger traffic, including the following:-
- i. Augmentation  of on-board capacity by attachment of additional coaches, running of special trains during festivals and holidays, running of suvidha trains etc.
- ii.  Organizing  intensive  ticket  checking  drives  including  fortress  checks etc.
- iii. Augmentation of ticket selling capacity through operation of Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVM), Cash-Coin and Smart Card Operated  Ticket  Vending  Machines  (CoTVM),  Mobile  Ticketing,  utilizing the  services  of  ticketing  agents  like  Jan  Sadharan  Ticket  Booking Sewaks  (JTBS),  Station  Ticket  Booking  Agents  (STBA),  Yatri  Ticket Suvidha Kendre (YTSK) etc.

Following steps have been taken by Railways to improve freight performance:

- i. Increasing  the  axle  load  for  carrying  additional  traffic  per  wagon. Length of freight trains has also been increased to carry more traffic per train.
- ii. Use of  extensive  computerization  in  freight  operations  to  improve monitoring and improve utilization of assets.
- iii. Deployment  of  higher  capacity  locomotives  and  higher  capacity wagons.
- iv. Improvement in maintenance practices of wagons and locomotives resulting in increased availability of rolling stock for traffic use.
- v. Improvement of track and signaling to  carry  the  higher  volume  of traffic.
- vi. With  a  view  to  reduce  empty  running  of  rakes,  Automatic  Freight Rebate Scheme for traffic loaded in Traditional E
- vii. mpty Flow Directions has been introduced with effect from 25.06.2015,  wherein  rakes  loaded  in  the  notified  empty  flow  directions are charged at concessional rates to attract traffic.

(e)  Railways  have  a  system  of  awarding  good  performance  of  the employees and the same is adhered to.

(f)  Yes,  Madam.    Railway  is  sensitizing  its  staff  involved  in  railways operations for minimizing  asset failures, rectification of failures in shortest possible time, judicious planning in operations of freight trains vis a vis Passenger trains etc.

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