The Indian Railways’ modernisation efforts may be misplaced, according to a recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) presented to the Parliament. The study ‘Augmentation of Station Line Capacity on Selected Stations in Indian Railways’ suggests that timely train movement should be a key determinant of the service quality offered to the passengers.
Study Background and Findings
The audit included an examination of 15 high-traffic railway stations nationwide. Among those scrutinised are Allahabad, Kanpur, Mathura, Mughalsarai, Chennai Central, Howrah, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, and New Delhi railway stations. Findings from this examination suggest that priority is currently given to improving passenger facilities and the station’s façade instead of eliminating obstacles for punctual train departures and arrivals.
Although there has been a substantial growth in the number of trains handled daily at these 15 stations, infrastructure development hasn’t kept pace. The findings noted that due to platform unavailability, trains often have to wait at outer signals or the next station until the earlier train vacates the platform. Detention time for goods trains was reported to be significantly longer.
Need for Infrastructure Enhancement
The report raised concerns over insufficient platform lengths to enable easy boarding onto long trains. It highlighted that there has not been adequate augmentation of current infrastructure compared to the increase in the number of trains handled per day at these selected stations.
The Issue of Train Delay
A major cause of delay in the movement of trains was identified as the non-availability of platforms. Trains often have to be stationed at adjacent signals or stations until the platform from the previous train is cleared. This has been seen to result in long waiting times affecting both passenger and goods trains.
Key Recommendations
Several recommendations were made in the report to address these issues. Firstly, it advises providing platforms of adequate length that would allow convenient boarding for long trains. Secondly, the report suggests increasing the station’s capacity by adding more platforms.
Improving Facilities for Stabling Trains
The report also recommended that adequate facilities should be provided for stabling trains, i.e., parking places for trains waiting for their next duty. This is an essential component to ensure seamless operations and reduce delays.
Increasing Yard Capacity
Besides these, the audit recommends enhancing yard capacity to accommodate the growing number of trains efficiently. Yards play a crucial role in train operations, including sorting, loading, unloading and maintenance of trains.
Assuring Availability of Washing Pit Lines
Finally, ensuring the availability of adequate washing pit lines is the last recommendation. These are necessary for the maintenance and cleaning of trains, which contributes to the overall passenger experience on Indian Railways.