Lok Sabha Question No. 535 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-02
Subject: Running of Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: AJAY NISHAD

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.535 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.12.2015

## RUNNING OF TRAINS

†535. SHRI AJAY NISHAD:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the status regarding timely running of trains during the last three years, year-wise;
- (b)  whether  there  is  any  provision  for  payment  of  compensation  to passengers in case of trains getting delayed;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  formulate  any  concrete action plan to improve the situation regarding trains following the time schedule; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

( SHRI MANOJ SINHA )

- (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 UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  535  BY  SHRI  AJAY  NISHAD  TO  BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 02.12.2015 REGARDING RUNNING OF TRAINS.

- (a)  Punctuality  performance  of  Mail/Express  trains  during  the  last  3 years is as under:
- (b)  &  (c)  There  is  no  provision  for  payment  of  compensation  to passengers in case of trains getting delayed. However, no cancellation charge or clerkage is levied and full fare is refunded to all passengers  holding  reserved,  RAC  and  wait-listed  tickets,  if  the journey  is  not  undertaken  due  to  late  running  of  train  by  more  than three  hours  from  the  scheduled  departure  time  of  the  train  at  the journey commencing station provided the ticket is surrendered prior to the actual departure time of the train.
- (d)  &  (e)  The  following  steps  have  already  been  initiated  by  the Railways:

| Year                          |   Punctuality% |
|-------------------------------|----------------|
| 2013-2014                     |             83 |
| 2014-2015                     |             79 |
| 2015-2016 (upto October 2015) |             78 |

Sensitization of staff involved in train operations towards importance of punctuality.

-  Prioritization of preventive maintenance of assets to minimize asset failures and rectification of failures in shortest possible time.
-  Better  co-ordination  with  Civil  and  Police  authorities  of  states  to minimize delays arising out of law & order problems.
-  Stress on timely completion of Capacity enhancement projects such as construction of additional loop lines, Doubling, Third line corridors, automatic signaling, RUB's, ROB's etc which are already sanctioned and in progress.
-  Time table of identified bad runners are being revisited.

Punctuality of Mail/Express trains traversing the quadrilateral connecting Delhi-Howrah-Mumbai-Chennai-Mumbai is adversely impacted  by  the  severe  capacity  constraints  prevalent  on  these routes.  High priority is being accorded to making resources available for speedy execution of capacity augmentation works.  With a view to ease congestion, for example, Eastern and Western dedicated freight corridors  have  already  been  sanctioned  and  their  execution  is  in progress. While the Eastern corridor from Ludhiana to Dankuni would provide  relief  to  the  highly  saturated  Delhi-Howrah  trunk  routes,  the Western corridor from Dadri to JNPT (Mumbai) would similarly impact the  Delhi-Mumbai  trunk  routes.    The  consequent  de-congestion  of highly saturated routes will inter alia enhance systemic capability to run trains more punctually.

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