Question : Trains Running Late

(a) the number of trains which are running much behind the scheduled time in the country;

(b) the zone-wise and train-wise details thereof during the last three years along with the reasons therefor;

(c) whether certain trains are consistently running behind schedule and if so, the reasons therefor;

(d) the action taken by the Government in view of the seriousness of the said problem;

(e) whether the Government has prepared any action plan to ensure operation of all these trains as per their schedule; and

(f) if so, the time along with the manner in which the said action plan is likely to be implemented?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

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

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (f) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3083 BY SHRI CHANDU LAL SAHU,SHRI RAJESH KUMAR DIWAKER, SHRI A.T. NANA PATIL, SHRIMATI SANTOSH AHLAWAT AND SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 14.03.2018 REGARDING TRAINS RUNNING LATE

(a) and (b) As per extant policy, the trains reaching their destination upto 15 minutes late are treated as right time and those reaching destination by late more than 15 minutes are treated as delayed. Zone-wise and train wise position of train services terminated at destination by more than 15 minutes late during last three years is appended as appendix-I, II and III.

Punctuality of trains is accorded top 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, certain factors such as line capacity and terminal 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, multi faceted Law & Order problems, miscreant activities such as theft of Railway assets, mid-section run over cases involving cattle and humans etc. also adversely affect the Punctuality of trains over Indian Railways.

(c) On an average, 451 Mail/Express trains were delayed per day during current financial year due to various factors, some of which were beyond the control of Railways. However some of these trains got consistently delayed largely on account of dense fog, large number of speed restrictions for ongoing track maintenance and infrastructure augmentation works over Indian Railways network.

(d) to (f) Monitoring of train running and efforts to improve punctuality is a continuous process. Various measures 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 low height subway to replace level crossings, Rail Under Bridges and Rail Over Bridges 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.

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