(a) whether the operating ratio of the Indian Railways is relatively higher in comparison to other countries;
(b) if so, the reasons therefor along with the details of operating ratio of the Indian Railways during the last three years and the current year, year-wise; and
(c) the steps taken/being taken by the Railways to rationalise and bring down their operating ratio?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS ( SHRI MANOJ SINHA )
(a) & (b) : Information on Operating Ratio of railway systems in other countries is neither compiled nor available in this Ministry. Moreover, there are issues of diverse computation methodologies across countries, thus reducing validity of comparison of such statistical figures. The Operating Ratio of the Indian Railways was 94.9% in 2011-12; 90.2% in 2012-13 and 93.5% in 2013-14(Provisional). Budget Estimates 2014-15 envisage an operating ratio of 92.5%.
(c) : It is a continuous endeavour of the Railways to bring down the operating ratio by controlling expenditure and increasing revenues. Steps taken for maximizing the traffic earnings, inter-alia, include rationalization of fare and freight tariff, effective marketing strategies to capture more and more traffic, creation of additional capacity and optimum utilization of the existing rail infrastructure, improved throughput by steps to increase productivity and efficiency, improvement of passenger interface etc. Railways are making efforts to contain expenditure through diverse means including strict economy and austerity measures, improved man-power planning, better asset utilization and inventory management, optimizing fuel consumption etc.