Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday informed the Rajya Sabha that the overall punctuality of Indian Railways has risen to 80 percent, a performance level he said is better than several European countries. The minister credited this improvement to enhanced maintenance practices and systematic operational upgrades undertaken across the national network.
Responding to supplementary questions during the Question Hour, Vaishnaw shared that 70 railway divisions have already crossed the 90 percent punctuality mark, signalling a significant shift in efficiency and timeliness.
“The overall punctuality of Railways has touched 80 per cent, which is a significant achievement. In 70 railway divisions, the punctuality is more than 90 per cent. The Indian Railways is better in punctuality than several European countries,”
Vaishnaw told the House.
He also highlighted that 82 train services currently operate from Ballia station, noting its cultural and historical significance.
Addressing concerns about infrastructure development, Vaishnaw said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has substantially increased the railway project budget in Uttar Pradesh, describing the rise as “historic.”
He pointed out that before 2014, only ₹100 crore was allocated for railway development in the state, whereas today the budget has multiplied several times, enabling accelerated project execution.
On the issue of railway underpasses and overpasses, the minister emphasised the government’s focus on safety. He revealed that more than 100 bridge designs have been specially developed to speed up approvals for railway over-bridges and under-bridges, ensuring faster and safer infrastructure rollout.