**Executive Summary**
Indian Railways is implementing measures to enhance operational reliability and punctuality. Key initiatives include improved maintenance practices, deep screening of ballast, and focused efforts on Over Head Equipment (OHE) and diesel locomotive reliability. These measures aim to improve punctuality from 73.62% in 2023-24 to 77.12% in 2024-25.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Improving Train Punctuality:**
* Rigorous monitoring of passenger trains at all levels.
* Introduction of a rolling block system for asset maintenance.
* Planned removal of infrastructure bottlenecks.
* Scientific rationalization of timetables.
* Utilization of data loggers for real-time reporting of train arrivals and departures.
* **Asset Reliability and Maintenance:**
* Regular inspection and maintenance of all railway assets including track, rolling stock, OHE, and signaling.
* Preventive maintenance is conducted to ensure safe operations.
* Staff are regularly counselled and trained to improve operational parameters.
* Analysis of punctuality loss incidences due to asset failures to identify root causes and implement corrective actions.
* **Diesel Locomotives:**
* Quality focus on maintenance to improve reliability, crucial for crisis management.
* Provision of Remote Monitoring and Management of Locomotives and Trains (REMMLOT).
* Deployment of Prompt Response Teams for quick resolution of issues with specific locomotive models.
* Improvement of maintenance periodicity for components like the Computer Controlled Brake system.
* **Over Head Equipment (OHE):**
* OHE reliability has been improved through regular periodic maintenance and special drives.
* Practices include scheduled foot patrolling, tower-wagon inspections, TrD audits, and replacement of aged assets.
* Measures to address potential OHE failures include surveying and trimming of trees near tracks, cleaning insulators in polluted areas, and adjusting Auto Tensioning Devices (ATD) seasonally.
* Special drives to check crossovers, turnouts, and OHE parameters.
* Regular counselling, cross-audits, and training for maintenance personnel.
* Timely replacement of old OHE assets and condition-based replacement of catenary and contact wire.
* Identification and replacement of broken or flashed insulators.
* **Track Maintenance (Deep Screening):**
* Deep screening of ballast is a mechanized maintenance activity to enhance track resilience, stability, and drainage, executed using Ballast Cleaning Machines (BCMs) and High Output Ballast Cleaning Machines (HOBCMs).
* The approach has shifted from age-based to a clean ballast cushion-based criterion for scientific assessment.
* Mechanized capacity has been strengthened with the induction of 65 BCMs, including HOBCMs, in the last five years.
* Detailed guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been issued for uniform implementation and quality control.
* Improvements in operational planning, including advance arrangement of resources and better sequencing/scheduling, lead to faster execution.
* Special priority and guidelines are provided for points and crossings due to their operational sensitivity.
* The transition to a condition-based approach with enhanced mechanization has improved the pace, efficiency, and quality of deep screening.
* Progress in deep screening has shown an increasing trend, with 15433 Tkm planned for 2024-25.
**Impact Analysis**
**Passengers**
* **Impact:** Potential for improved punctuality and reliability of train services, leading to reduced travel delays.
* **Action Required:** No specific action required from passengers.
**Indian Railways Operations Staff (including Maintenance and Running Staff)**
* **Impact:** Increased focus on maintenance practices, adherence to new procedures, and training to ensure asset reliability and punctuality.
* **Action Required:** Implement new maintenance protocols, participate in training sessions, adhere to counselling and audit recommendations, and utilize new technologies like REMMLOT.
**Indian Railways Management and Planning Divisions**
* **Impact:** Need to ensure continued monitoring, resource allocation for maintenance, implementation of new approaches (e.g., condition-based screening), and analysis of performance data.
* **Action Required:** Oversee the implementation of new measures, ensure adequate resources are allocated, conduct regular performance reviews, and adapt planning based on operational data.
Key Entities Referenced
Indian Railways: The primary subject of the policy, responsible for operational reliability and train punctuality.
OHE Reliability: A key factor for train punctuality and operational reliability, with specific measures for improvement.
Diesel Locomotives: An important asset for crisis management and operational reliability, with maintenance and reliability improvement measures.
Track maintenance (Deep screening): A mechanised maintenance activity to enhance track resilience, stability, and drainage, crucial for operational reliability.
Ministry of Railways: The governing body overseeing the Indian Railways and its operational policies.
Ministry of Railways
Indian Railways Ensures High Operational
Reliability by Running 25,000 Trains Safely Every
Day and Moving Millions
Regular Monitoring, Better Maintenance Practices &
Advanced Deep Screening of Ballast Improve Asset
Reliability and Punctuality Nationwide
OHE Reliability, Crucial for Punctuality, Boosted
Timely Replacement of Old OHE and Seasonal Adjustments
Ensuring Smoother Movement of Trains
Diesel Locomotives Strengthening Rapid Response in Times
of Crisis
Posted On: 12 MAR 2026 6:32PM by PIB Delhi
Indian Railways makes all possible efforts to run trains on time. Indian Railways punctuality is affected
due to several factors which include foggy weather, path constraints, asset maintenance and other issues,
alarm chain pulling, agitations, cattle run over and other unforeseen circumstances.
To improve the punctuality of trains, several steps have been taken by Indian Railways. These include
rigorous monitoring of running of passenger carrying trains at divisional, zonal and Railway Board
levels, introduction of rolling block system for maintenance of assets to increase their reliability, removal
of infrastructure bottlenecks in a planned manner and rationalization of Time Table in a scientific manner.
Further, to ensure real time and realistic reporting of arrival/departure of passenger trains, data loggers
are being used.
The sustained focus on improvement has helped in improvement of asset reliability and better punctuality
performance as below:
Year Punctuality
2023-24 73.62 %
2024-25 77.12 %2025-26 77.24 %
(Up to Feb’2026)
Indian Railways operate about 25,000 trains daily and the asset failure incidences are only about 2 %
including those of Locos/OHE. The unusual incidences are analysed, and suitable corrective measures
are taken accordingly.
Regular inspection and maintenance of all railway assets including Track, rolling stock, OHE, signalling
etc is carried out as per laid down norms to ensure safe operation of trains. These are regularly monitored
through designated officials in divisions/depots & workshops etc across zonal railways. Preventive
maintenance is also undertaken to ensure safe train operations. Staff are regularly counselled and trained
to improve these parameters.
Indian railways have identified and implemented long-term and short-term measures for improving the
asset reliability. Further, Railways have initiated various measures such as launching of special
punctuality drives and sensitizing staff involved in train operations.
The punctuality loss incidences on account of maintenance of assets such as diesel locomotives, over
head equipment (OHE) failures, signal failures, track, congestion, and rolling stock issues are monitored
and analysis is done promptly to identify the root causes and the corrective and improvement actions.
A number of improvement measures have been taken for improving the reliability of Diesel Locomotives
and OHE as under:
Diesel Locomotives:
Diesel Locomotives are crucial to the crisis management plan of Indian Railways. Quality focus is being
given for maintenance of this important asset for maintaining and improving the reliability by way of
actions such as:
Provision of Remote monitoring and Management of Locomotives and Trains (REMMLOT) in
diesel locomotives.
Deployment of Prompt Response Team across India for quick resolution of problems in
WDG4G/6G locomotives.
Improvement of maintenance periodicity of components such as Computer controlled Brake system
for better reliability.
Over Head Equipment (OHE): OHE is crucial for reliable train operations. Indian Railways has
improved OHE reliability through regular periodic maintenance and special drives. Scheduled foot
patrolling, regular tower-wagon inspections, TrD audits and systematic replacement of overaged assets
have strengthened system performance. Continuous reduction has been achieved in the failures in the last
02 years. Several good practices have been adopted such as:
Survey for identification of trees along the track, which could be potential for OHE failure and their
trimming/cutting.
Frequent cleaning of insulators in polluted areas.
To minimise the impact of changes in weather, ensuring free movement and adjustment of
parameters of Auto Tensioning Devices (ATD) in every season.
Special drive to check crossover and turnouts, OHE parameters and its adjustment.Regular counselling sessions at the depot level to reinforce adherence to prescribed maintenance
practices.
Cross audits of maintenance depots by other depots for identification of deficiencies and gaps with
reference to standard practices.
Regular training for maintenance personnel.
Timely replacement of old assets and replacement on condition basis of catenary and contact wire.
Identification of broken and flashed insulators and their replacement in special drive.
Track maintenance (Deep screening):
Deep screening of ballast is undertaken as a key mechanised maintenance activity to enhance track
resilience, stability and drainage. The work is executed using Ballast Cleaning Machines (BCMs),
including High Output
Ballast Cleaning Machines (HOBCMs) ensuring efficient and uniform cleaning of the ballast bed with
minimal manual intervention.
Earlier, until 2021, deep screening was carried out based on age basis. This approach has now been
revised to a clean ballast cushion-based criterion, making the process scientific and reflective of actual
field conditions. As per the revised norms, deep screening of main-line track is scheduled when the clean
ballast cushion reduces below 200 mm. Mechanised capacity has also been significantly strengthened
with the induction of 65 BCMs, including HOBCMs during the last five years which has enhanced the
overall capacity of Indian Railways for deep screening.
To support uniform implementation and quality control, detailed guidelines and Standard Operating
Procedures (SOP) have been issued to enhance the efficiency and quality of deep screening.
Improvements in operational planning, including advance arrangement of ballast, tools, equipment, and
trained manpower along with better sequencing and scheduling have led to faster execution and better
utilisation of resources. Special priority has also been accorded to points and crossings, considering their
operational sensitivity. Special guidelines and a Joint Procedure Order (JPO) have been issued to
facilitate safe and coordinated execution at these locations.
The transition from an age-based to a condition-based deep screening approach supported by enhanced
mechanisation and structured implementation procedures have significantly improved the pace,
efficiency and quality of deep screening.
Total progress of deep screening has been increasing progressively which is given as under:
SN Year Progress (in Tkm)
1 2020-21 9985
2 2021-22 10056
3 2022-23 10766
4 2023-24 14935
5 2024-25 15433This information was provided by the Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and
Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a reply to questions in Lok Sabha.
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Dharmendra Tewari/ Ritu Raj/ Manik Sharma
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