Trains in India are now running on time as Indian Railways utilised the 2020 pandemic lockdown to do some serious maintenance of tracks, coaches and engines, officials said.
As much as 93.29% of the trains have been punctual between April and November 16, 2021, compared with 75.67% of trains from April to November 2019 running on time, and 68.19% between April and November 2018, railway ministry data show.
“Realising that not being able to dedicate required time for maintenance was one of the crucial reasons for poor punctuality rate, we decided to utilise the lockdown days to the fullest,” a ministry official said, requesting anonymity. “Moreover, we also worked on the timetable in a way that the trains are now able to get more time for their maintenance.”
Almost all trains have now resumed operations. “Around 1,750 Mail and Express trains are running as of November 16,” the official said. “The average pre-Covid was 1,768 Mail and Express trains.”
