Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that Indian Railways has achieved an overall punctuality of 77 per cent, with 24 railway divisions recording more than 90 per cent on-time performance.
Responding to questions in the Rajya Sabha, Ashwini Vaishnaw explained that punctuality is measured by the percentage of trains arriving within the specified time limit, and he noted that the Railways has adopted multiple strategies to improve the performance of its extensive network.
He stated that advanced technical tools, including IT-based systems and AI-based analysis, have been deployed to identify and resolve structural issues in train timetables. Providing performance details by division, Mr. Vaishnaw said that 43 divisions have achieved over 80 per cent punctuality, while one division has exceeded 95 per cent.
He specifically mentioned Madurai, Jodhpur, Hooghly, Bhavnagar, Kota, Izzatnagar, Ratlam, and Ajmer as divisions with very high punctuality levels. The Minister acknowledged that while the current punctuality figures are comparable with countries like France, Germany, and Italy, India should set its benchmark against Japan, which is globally recognized for its exceptionally high standards in railway punctuality.
Mr. Vaishnaw said that Indian Railways has already started adopting Japanese best practices, including 26-week forward maintenance planning, to ensure smoother and more efficient maintenance of rolling stock and infrastructure.