TRAI Quality Audit Flags Mobile Coverage Gaps on Kathgodam-Dehradun Rail Line
- What: Rail route network audit released
- Route: Kathgodam to Dehradun rail corridor
- Coverage: 335.8-kilometer railway test track
- Scope: Four telecom service providers evaluated
Train passengers traveling between Kathgodam and Dehradun face starkly uneven cellular connectivity, with state-owned BSNL dropping nearly one in five calls while private carriers battle recurring signal dead zones. An independent drive test audit published by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India mapped mobile performance across 335.8 kilometers of rail track passing through key junctions like Haldwani, Moradabad, and Haridwar.
Signal reliability varied significantly among telecom providers during the August assessment. Reliance Jio logged the fewest weak-signal readings, with 1,734 poor samples out of 23,643, followed by Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel. BSNL struggled heavily, logging 6,638 weak-signal samples out of 23,597 and recording 24 call drops out of 129 attempts, compared to just five or six dropped calls each for private operators.
Data throughput along the Himalayan foothills rail corridor reflected a similar divide. Reliance Jio delivered the highest 5G download speeds, averaging 156.76 Mbps, while Bharti Airtel clocked 113.02 Mbps and Vodafone Idea reached 36.32 Mbps. BSNL, operating on 4G spectrum along the route, trailed considerably with an average download speed of 10.84 Mbps.
Supervised by TRAI's Bhopal regional office under the UP West license area, the drive tests aim to publicly benchmark operator standards and push carriers to eliminate dead zones along critical passenger transit routes. Commuters and enterprise users can access detailed corridor maps pinpointing exact drop locations to monitor network improvements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did TRAI's drive test evaluate along the Kathgodam-Dehradun rail route?
TRAI evaluated voice call quality, call drop rates, signal coverage gaps, and download and upload speeds across Airtel, BSNL, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea over a 335.8-kilometer rail stretch.
Which telecom operator recorded the fastest download speeds on the route?
Reliance Jio achieved the fastest average download speed at 156.76 Mbps on 5G, followed by Bharti Airtel at 113.02 Mbps, Vodafone Idea at 36.32 Mbps, and BSNL at 10.84 Mbps on 4G.
How did call drop rates compare between telecom providers?
Private providers reported low call drop rates, with Jio and Airtel logging five drops each and Vodafone Idea logging six, while BSNL registered 24 dropped calls out of 129 attempts.
Source
Press Information Bureau Release ID: 2321441, Ministry of Communications · 2026-10-09
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