in three years

on Tuesday

In 2017-18, Indian Railways had the worst punctuality performance. 30 per cent trains ran late in 2017-18, according to official data. From April 2017-March 2018, the punctuality of mail and express trains was 71.39 per cent, down from 76.69 per cent in 2016-17, which is a deterioration of 5.30 per cent.When Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India looked into the reasons for this delay, it found some serious flaws in government’s Rs 1 lakh crore station redevelopment plans. There isn't enough space for trains on stations which is the main cause of delays, and little is being done to change that.In a latest report tabled in Parliament, CAG said, “The station development/redevelopment plans mainly address on facilities for the passengers on the station premises and facade of stations only and not on removing constraints and bottlenecks for ensuring timely arrival and departure of trains to/from the stations, which should be one of the most important parameters of the quality of service being provided to the passengers."CAG further explains how the unavailability of path (platform/line) for accommodating trains and absence of enough platforms with sufficient length to handle trains with 24 or more coaches are main reasons for delay of trains.According to CAG, another important reason for delays is fewer washing pit lines and stabling lines.CAG selected 15 stations in 10 zonal railways falling on the routes with heavy passenger traffic for audit. It analysed one-month data (March 2017) to study how deficient infrastructure leads to detention of trains at adjoining stations, en route and on platforms. Only 100 platforms out of 164 have the capacity to handle trains with 24 or more coaches, it found.On the selected 15 stations, out of 164 platforms, 100 platforms have the capacity to handle trains with 24 or more coaches. Due to absence of adequate capacity of platforms, trains with higher number of coaches had to be handled on platforms of shorter lengths, which led to inconvenience to passengers in boarding and de-boarding trains.The CAG report points that one of the most important reasons for train delays was the lack of basic infrastructure which leads to detention of trains before they reach the station.Due to non-availability of path (platform/line), the trains have to wait at outer signal or the adjacent station until the platform is vacated by preoccupied trains. CAG observed significant detentions to trains at the selected stations. Passenger trains were detained for more than 15 minutes per train at all the selected stations except Howrah, Bhopal, Itarsi and Ahmedabad. At these stations, the trains were detained between 15 and 25 minutes per train.CAG found that washing and stabling lines at the stations were not big enough to handle trains. They lack capacity to handle bigger trains with 24 or more coaches. In some cases, washing and stabling lines were so few that it affected the punctuality directly.Washing pit lines are washing lines with open dumping pits at the base throughout the track. It is used for all types of cleaning and maintenance to prepare the compartment for the next journey. Every train is required to be cleaned before it starts its next journey.Stabling lines are running lines where empty trains are stabled on arrival and await their turn to be shunted away to the washing lines and from there to the carriage and wagon examination pit lines.Out of 79 pit lines and 63 stabling lines, only 35 pit lines and 20 stabling lines have the capacity to handle trains with 24 or more coaches. This increased the time taken for maintenance of trains and impacted punctuality.The CAG report has found that the railways keep launching new trains but the infrastructure needed to sustain them doesn't grow accordingly.The audit reviewed the number of trains handled, platforms, washing pit lines and stabling lines at these station for March 2007, March 2012 and March 2017 and observed that infrastructure such as platforms, washing pit lines and stabling lines at the stations were not augmented according to increase in number of trains handled on these stations over a period of time.The comprehensive report by CAG gives a number of suggestions to the railway ministry. One of them is creation of a master plan for stations with heavy passenger traffic to identify constraints of station line capacity and devise measures to be taken to address these constraints on priority.It also suggested that the modernisation/redevelopment of stations should address infrastructural constraints and works such as construction of additional platforms, stabling and washing pit lines, remodelling of yards etc. should also be included in the scope of modernisation/redevelopment of stations.Before taking up modernisation of stations and constructing new buildings, the possibility of further expansion of the stations by adding more platforms needs to be considered, the CAG suggests.