Lok Sabha Question No. 581 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-04-27
Subject: Punctuality of Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: SHARAD TRIPATHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 581 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.04.2016

## PUNCTUALITY OF TRAINS

† 581. SHRI SHARAD TRIPATHI:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  trains,  particularly  the  New  Delhi  bound  trains,  are usually running behind schedule and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  details  of  the  measures  being  taken  by  the  Government  to ensure the timely operation of trains;
- (c)  the  stations  in  Uttar  Pradesh  at  which  the  operation  of  trains  is being delayed owing to excessive pressure of trains; and
- (d) whether the Government has formulated any scheme to lay additional tracks at those stations and if so, the details thereof ?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

( SHRI MANOJ SINHA )

- (a)  Indian  Railways'  overall  punctuality  during  2015-16  was  78% approx.  However,  in  the  current  Financial  Year,  Indian  Railways  has clocked about  82%  overall  punctuality  till  25  April  2016.  Punctuality performance of Mail Express trains terminating at New Delhi for the last one year (2015-2016) was 60%. New Delhi bound trains primarily

get  delayed  owing  to  severe  capacity  constraints  on  MughalsaraiAllahabad-Ghaziabad and Bhopal-Jhansi-Agra-Mathura-New Delhi sectors on account of increasing passenger and freight traffic. Other factors impacting punctuality are accidents, planned blocks for executing  capacity  enhancement  works  and  construction  of  low height  subways,  ROBs,  RUBs  etc.  as  well  as  due  to  factors  not  in control  of  the  Railways,  such  as  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,  multi  faceted  law  and  order  problems, including  public  agitations  and  bandh  calls  in  left  wing  extremism affected and other areas, miscreant activities such as theft of Railway assets, mid-section run over cases involving cattle and human being etc.

However, in the current Financial  Year,  there  has  been  an improvement as the terminating punctuality of Mail Express trains at New Delhi has reached 70% till 25 April 2016.

(b)  Railways  have  initiated  various  measures  aimed  at  improving punctuality of trains over Indian Railways network by sensitization of staff  involved  in  train  operations,  controlling  asset  failures  and  their down-time,  prioritization  of  preventive  maintenance  of  assets,  time tabling improvements, capacity enhancement through creation of new infrastructure etc. For factors affecting punctuality which are beyond railways control such as public agitations, law and order problems in left wing extremism affected areas etc. State Governments are being pursued for more effective resolution of these problems.

(c) Some stations of Uttar Pradesh facing excessive pressure of trains are  Saharanpur,  Moradabad,  Lucknow,  Varanasi,  Faizabad,  Prayag, Allahabad,  Kanpur,  Mirzapur,  Chunar,  Tundla  and  Aligarh  and  get delayed owing to severe terminal capacity constraints and congestion of sections catering to these stations due to increasing passenger and freight traffic.

(d) High priority is being accorded for making resources available for speedy execution of capacity augmentation works such as providing automatic signaling in a phased manner over the Mughalsarai-Kanpur and Bhopal-Mathura-New Delhi sectors, provision of 3rd line corridors in  a  phased  manner  over  Mughalsarai-Allahabad,  Aligarh-Ghaziabad, Mathura-New  Delhi  and  Bhopal-Bina  sectors,  providing  Low  Height Subways (LHS) and Road Over Bridges (ROBs) on congested routes for eliminating  level  crossing  gates,  execution  of  Eastern  and  Western dedicated freight corridors, rationalization of terminals and routes on Allahabad division to avoid congestion of Allahabad station etc. These steps,  collectively,  will  to  some  extent  enhance  the  capacity  and systemic capability to run trains more punctually.

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