Punctuality of Indian Railways better than Europe, claims Centre
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New Delhi: Railways Minister on Friday told the Rajya Sabha that the overall punctuality of Indian Railways has significantly increased to 80 per cent, which was better than several European countries, PTI reported.
Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, the minister said several railway divisions have already crossed the 90 per cent punctuality mark, highlighting the impact of strengthened maintenance practices and systematic operational upgrades implemented in recent years.
"The overall punctuality of Railways has touched 80 per cent, which is a significant achievement. In 70 railway divisions, the punctuality is more than 90 per cent. The Indian Railways is better in punctuality than several European countries," he told the House.
Replying to another supplementary, the minister also informed the house that 82 train services are being run from Ballia station, which has historical and cultural links.
Vaishnaw also said that in Uttar Pradesh, the prime minister has raised the Budget for railway projects, which is a historic step.
Prior to 2014, a mere Rs 100 crore budget was earmarked, which today has gone up several times, Vaishnaw said.
To another query on railway under- and over-bridges, the minister said efforts have been made on the railways' under-bridges and over-bridges, as safety is an important factor.
"Over 100 designs have been developed especially for over-bridges to ensure speedy approvals for development," he said.
The minister also informed the Rajya Sabha that allotment of lower berths to senior citizens and female passengers of 45 years and above is automatically done, even if no choice is given by passengers, subject to availability.