WR was faster in December, sets bar higher

Mumbai: Western Railway (WR) has claimed there was a two per cent increase in the punctuality of services in December 2016 as compared to the same period in 2015.

In December 2015 punctuality was at 86.7 per cent it went up to 88.8 per cent in December 2016. According to rail officials, the WR has seen the increase after a lot of speed restrictions were raised in areas like Andheri, Bandra. It also removed the crossover points where the train changes tracks, thereby making train rides smoother.

An improvement has also been noticed in the punctuality of long-distance train in the same period. It was recorded as 91.5 per cent in the December 2015 while the same period in 2016 saw punctuality of 93 per cent.

WR divisional railway manager Mukul Jain said, “We will definitely see punctuality improving in March and even more after that, as we have implemented a lot of measures like the removing unnecessary crossovers, and further speed restrictions are expected to be lifted at Andheri as well.”

Timing our trains
When a train is late up to five minutes it is still considered to be on time, but when the train is late by more than five minutes only then is it counted as a delayed or, what is known in railway lingo, as a loss. According to the formula, railway punctuality is calculated by dividing the total number of trains with the number of services delayed.

Recent delays:
June: Batteries that power the signalling were stolen. More than 50 trains were delayed as a result.
April: Services delayed by over an hour when overhead wire collapsed between Kandivali and Borivali.
August: A signal panel near Virar caught fire; 40 services were cancelled.