Why do trains across the country get delayed? CAG has the answer

In its report tabled in Parliament, the CAG said the station modernisation plans should address infrastructural constraints.

New Delhi: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has come down heavily on the Railways for focussing mainly on improving passenger facilities and facade of stations, instead of trying to ensure timely movement of trains.

In its report tabled in Parliament this week, the CAG said the station modernisation plans should address infrastructural constraints.

"The station development or re-development plans mainly address facilities for the passengers on the station premises and facade of stations only and not on removing constraints and bottlenecks for ensuring timely arrival and departure of trains," the CAG report said.

The auditor observed that over a period of time the number of trains handled per day in 15 selected stations has increased significantly.

"However, the infrastructure such as platforms, washing pit lines and stabling lines at the stations were not augmented according to increase in number of trains," the CAG said.

Of the 2,436 trains handled by the 15 stations as of March 2017, 638 trains are being run with 24 or more coaches every day.

"To accommodate these train rakes of longer length, there should be platform of adequate length and adequate facilities of stabling and washing pit lines," it said.

The CAG also said that the absence of adequate number of platforms was one of the important reasons for detention of trains at the preceding station or at the outer signal.

In its suggestions to the railways, the CAG recommended that all zonal railways need to prepare comprehensive Master Plans for stations with heavy passenger traffic, identify constraints of station line capacity and devise measures to be taken to address these constraints on priority.

The auditor also said that before taking up modernization/redevelopment of stations and constructing new buildings, the possibility of further expansion of the stations by adding more platforms need to be considered.