Working hard to improve train punctuality: Railway Minister

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 18

Noting that greater emphasis on train punctuality is being given without compromising on safety, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday said a decision is being taken to lay a third line between Allahabad and Mugalsarai to de-clog the high-density route.

Informing that he had been personally reviewing the punctuality issues related to each of the 17 zones of the Railways, the minister said, “We have identified root causes for the delays and I have asked the officials to develop common measures to be adopted by all zones to deal with the challenge.”

He said the third line between Allahabad-Mugalsarai would cost Rs 2,000 crore and the project would be completed in the next three years.

The minister said the railways would be procuring reserve coaches to avoid any delay of outbound trains because of delayed inbound trains.  Goyal said that in case of unavoidable inordinate delays of trains on Sundays the railways would provide reasonable meals and drinking water to passengers of reserved category in mail and express trains.