The Impressive TimesNew Delhi, October 21: Indian Railways has reported consistent train punctuality despite heavy passenger demand, stating that its performance has improved compared with pre-pandemic levels.
According to the Railways, punctuality improved from 69.2% in 2018-19 to 77.43% in 2025-26. The figure for 2026-27 stands at 77.11% so far, reflecting continued performance above the 77% mark.
The department attributed the improvement to enhanced monitoring, timetable rationalisation, better maintenance practices and infrastructure upgrades aimed at ensuring safer, more comfortable and timely journeys for passengers.
Indian Railways said its punctuality performance has remained above 77% over the past three years, including the current financial year. This represents an improvement over the 73.62% recorded in 2023-24.
The Railways also argued that punctuality figures currently circulating on social media were being presented without adequate context, potentially creating a misleading comparison between different periods.
According to the Railways, unusually high punctuality figures recorded in 2020-21 and 2021-22 must be viewed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, when train operations were significantly restricted and fewer trains were running.
The department maintained that comparing punctuality during those years with periods of normal operations does not provide an accurate assessment of overall performance.
With services returning to normal capacity after the pandemic, punctuality moved closer to its long-term average before improving again, the Railways said.
Indian Railways said it continues to focus on improving punctuality while meeting substantial passenger demand. Measures such as operational monitoring, maintenance improvements and infrastructure development are intended to strengthen service reliability.
The department reiterated that punctuality data should be assessed in the context of operating conditions, train volumes and the scale of services running during each period.
No Comments: