**Executive Summary**
This document is an answer to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha regarding data maintenance, expenditure methodologies, and data accessibility within the Indian Railways. The question, posed by multiple members of parliament, seeks information on various aspects of railway data management. The Minister of Railways affirms the ministry's commitment to data availability, referencing existing practices of data collection, verification, and publication since Financial Year 2005-06. The question is scheduled to be answered on 10.12.2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Data Maintenance:**
* The Ministry of Railways maintains data on various facets of Indian Railways, including Financial, Operating, Commercial, Asset utilization, Accidents, and Administrative statistics.
* Data is collected from all 17 Zonal Railways.
* Data is centrally compiled according to the Manual of Statistical Instructions.
* Datasets are cross-checked and verified at various levels for accuracy.
* **Data Availability:**
* The Ministry strives to ensure railway data is readily available to the public and stakeholders.
* Annual Statistical Statements and other statistical publications with data, facts, and figures are uploaded annually on the Ministry's website since Financial Year 2005-06.
* **Project Expenditure:**
* Project-wise details are maintained as per the codal provisions of the Indian Railways Code for the Engineering Department and the Indian Railway Finance Code, along with respective manuals.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: General Public and Stakeholders**
* **Impact:** Access to information regarding Indian Railways' financial, operational, commercial, asset utilization, accident, and administrative data.
* **Action Required:** Visit the Ministry of Railways website to access Annual Statistical Statements and other statistical publications from Financial Year 2005-06 onwards.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Railways: The primary entity responsible for the collection, maintenance, and publication of railway data as described in the document.
LOK SABHA: The house of the Parliament to which the question regarding railway data is addressed.
Indian Railways Code for the Engineering Department: A codal provision which prescribes the maintenance of project-wise details.
Indian Railway Finance Code: A codal provision which prescribes the maintenance of project-wise details.
Annual Statistical Statement: A statistical publication of the Ministry of Railways uploaded on its website.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1661
TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025
DATA REGARDING PASSENGER
VOLUMES/REVENUES/OCCUPANCY/FREIGHT PERFORMANCE
1661. SHRI VISHWESHWAR HEGDE KAGERI:
SMT. SMITA UDAY WAGH:
SHRI ALOK SHARMA:
SHRI KHAGEN MURMU:
SHRI JANARDAN MISHRA:
SHRI VIJAY KUMAR DUBEY:
DR. HEMANG JOSHI:
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) the manner in which the Government currently maintains data
on passenger volumes, revenue generation, occupancy levels
and freight performance—including freight volumes, freight
rates, wagon turnaround time—indicating the periodicity,
accuracy standards and level of granularity of such datasets;
(b) the details of the standardised methodology adopted for
recording project-wise capital expenditure, including sanctioned
cost, revised cost, actual yearly expenditure, physical progress,
execution timelines, and details of cost overruns across railway
projects;
(c) whether the Government proposes to make datasets on
passenger performance, freight performance and project-wise
capital expenditure for the last ten financial years publicly
accessible in a machine-readable format along with complete
data scheme and metadata;
Page 1 of 2(d) if so, the timeline and platform proposed for enabling such
public access; and
(e) if not, the reasons for withholding such datasets and whether
any policy constraints or confidentiality considerations prevent
their disclosure?
*****
ANSWER
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)
(a) to (e): Ministry of Railways maintains data on different facets of
Indian Railways working, broadly having Financial, Operating,
Commercial, Assets utilization, Accidents and Administrative statistics.
Data is collected from all the 17 Zonal Railways and is centrally
compiled in accordance with Manual of Statistical Instructions. To
maintain accuracy standard of the data, these datasets are cross-
checked and verified at various levels.
It has always been an endeavour of this Ministry to ensure that all
data relating to the Railways working and performance is readily
available for information to the general public and stakeholders. For this
purpose, Annual Statistical Statement alongwith other Statistical
publications containing data, facts & figures is being uploaded every
year on the Ministry of Railways’ website since Financial Year 2005-06.
The project wise details are maintained as per codal provisions of
Indian Railways Code for the Engineering Department and Indian Railway
Finance Code alongwith respective Manuals.
******
Page 2 of 2