South Central Railway attains peak Punctuality Record of 90% for Mail/Express Trains

SECUNDERABAD: South Central Railway (SCR) touched another landmark in terms of punctuality of Mail / Express Trains on its network, which attained 90 %, the best recorded during the entire year. This significant high in the priority area of train punctuality, comes in the wake of the interaction of Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Minister of Railways with Officers and staff of SCR recently, during which he exhorted the rail force to work with high motivational levels and the zeal to continiously better the performance levels.

Piyush Goyal during his visit to Secunderabad and Review Meeting on Operating Performance.

While SCR achieved the 90 % record in terms of punctual running of Mail/Express trains, the Nanded and Guntur Divisions of the Zone surpassed the same, reaching the peak of  100 % punctuality for Mail / Express trains, a significant development in the endevaour towards meeting rail user satisfaction.

The Union Minister of Railways, during his visit to Secunderabad on 15th June, 2018 had sought that SCR should scale up its punctuality to 90 %. The impact of his words has been very positive, and SCR has been able to attain the target within  two weeks from the time of his visit.

Vinod Kumar Yadav, General Manager, SCR congratulated Team SCR, Divisional Railway Manager’s of all six divisions, the Principal Chief Operations Manager as well as the Chief Passenger Transportation Manager for answering the call of Hon’ble Rail Minister to attain the goals set. The General Manager wanted this spirit towards performance excellence to continue, so that punctuality is further increased, at the same time ensuring that Safety of rail operations continues to remain an area of prime focus.

A planned multi-pronged initiative has been the key to SCR’s success in attaining the 90 % record in its Mail / Express trains punctuality. The core area of track upgradation / maintanance and infrastructure works which are proceeding at a brisk pace all over the Zone has been restrategised by drawing up a planned time tabled schedule of trains so as to simultaneously keep punctuality to the maximum. The train blocks which basically are taken for undertaking track upgradation / maintenance and infrastructure works are being scientifically organized.

This is done by planning for train blocks in specific non peak or silent period when the train movements are bare minimal in that part of the day/night so that the works are taken up during that time without causing any delay or just causing minimal delay to train services.  The average numbers of trains each day vary with some days the services being lesser.  Train blocks are planned on such days of lesser services to undertake maintenance/infra works. Scientific planning of trains getting regulated due to blocks is undertaken, so that the loose time is used to the maximum for covering up the delay so as to improve punctuality on further run till destination. Mega blocks too are envisaged, which offer scope to simultaneously take up multiple infra works within a fixed short duration of time, so that punctuality is not compromised.

Hon’ble Minister of Railways and General Manager, SCR during review meeting held by Hon’ble Minister during his visit to Secunderabad on 15.06.2018

Amongst the other factors which have enabled enhance the punctuality performance on the Zone are, the meticulous monitoring being undertaken by Divisional Railway Managers and top officials of Operating department, respectively at the Divisional and Head Quarters level. Extensive multi department co-ordination has been instrumental in ensuring that every aspect of rail operations and maintenance is well synchronized and smoothly executed. Reduction in asset failures on account of improvement in maintenance practices has also contributed towards punctuality. Adding to this, the exercise to sensitize and motivate staff involved in rail operations towards meeting passenger expectations has added fresh energy, enabling a high degree of devotion towards duty so as to attain goals.

The General Manager, Vinod Kumar Yadav has put a viable system into practice at various levels, specifically targeted to monitor punctuality. He has been holding regular video conferences with all the Principal Heads of Departments and Divisional Railway Managers to review punctuality performance. Officers of the Operating Department have been deputed round the clock to monitor and minimize detention of trains.

The Additional General Manager is tasked with holding daily punctuality review meetings, where any instances of punctuality loss are discussed and analyzed in detail so as to overcome the short comings. The Principal Chief Operations Manager and the Chief Passenger Transportation Manager interact with officials of the operating department at various levels so as to initiate remedial action where ever needed.

The premier group of identified super fast trains, Duronto, Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi and Garib Rath trains are monitored at all levels. Innovative measures such as relaxation in long standing permanent speed restrictions in some sections, keen observance of asset failure and effective resolving of failures in quickest possible time, close monitoring of terminal stations to maintain punctuality of terminating / originating trains, ear marking separate locomotive powers at junction stations where reversal of train direction is required, has been a prime factor in enhancing the punctuality performance of SCR.

Vinod Kumar Yadav has set a goal to ensure that this betterment of punctuality standards on SCR remains a continuous process so that the Zone maintains its record as amongst the best performer on Indian Railways.