Nationwide train delays in India drop by 30%

Based on a comprehensive analysis done over the last 6 months across more than 2500 important train stations in India, RailYatri.in reports that the nationwide Train Delay Average has fallen by nearly 30% since the start of the year 2016. However, the same analysis also reveals that the average National Train Delay Index still remains high at 35.03 mins at the end of June 2016.This study, considered more than one million train running status data points each month, as reported by train travelers who were boarding trains at various stations across the country. RailYatri’s definition of Train Delay Index is based on the amount of time a traveler has to wait at a station for the arrival of the train beyond its scheduled arrival time.It is important to point out here that the worldwide operating definition of Train Delay Index across the world, including Indian Railways, only considers the delay at its final terminating station. This means that if a train manages to reach its terminating station on time, despite being late at all other intermediate stoppages, the entire run is considered on-time. This explains why trains are given extra buffer time, either just before or close to their last stoppage, so as to help them complete an on-time run. However, the RailYatri.in study has considered delays at all intermediate stoppages where passengers board the train. “We believe that considering delays at all the stoppages is a more realistic measure and reflects the train traveler’s view about the delay on their train journey”, explains Kapil Raizada, Co-founder RailYatri.in.“Kudos to the new ministry for putting the spotlight on the perennial train delays which travelers in India have always complained about! The improvement is significant and it seems like the efforts are showing. However, it is a continuous improvement cycle and we are sure that Indian Railways would continue to control and bring the delays to an even more respectable level. Our study has highlighted areas which are chronic under-performers, and we suggest a bottoms-up approach which focuses specifically where severity of the problem is highest.” says Manish Rathi, CEO & Co-founder RailYatri.in