NEW DELHI, Dec 3: The overall punctuality of Indian Railways’ Mail and Express trains reached approximately 80 per cent during the first half of the financial year 2025–26, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply. This marks an improvement from 77.12 per cent recorded in 2024–25.
Responding to questions on train operations, Vaishnaw stated that Indian Railways continues to make every effort to ensure timely running of trains. However, he acknowledged that several factors—such as foggy weather, path constraints, asset maintenance, alarm chain pulling, public agitations, and cattle runovers—can affect punctuality.
The Minister also highlighted that the Railways has been implementing operational and technological measures to improve on-time performance. These include better crew management, real-time monitoring systems, and infrastructure upgrades across key routes.
In addition to punctuality, Vaishnaw noted that the overall occupancy of Vande Bharat Express trains remained close to 100 per cent, indicating strong public demand and operational efficiency in premium services.
The data reflects Indian Railways’ ongoing efforts to enhance reliability and passenger satisfaction, especially during peak travel periods and under challenging conditions.
