Average speed of goods trains at 2019-20 level, passenger trains slightly better: Railways data

New Delhi: Average speed of passenger trains has enhanced marginally but freight trains haven't shown any improvement from the pre-Covid time of 2019-20, according to government data.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared the data Friday in Rajya Sabha in a written response to questions raised by CPI (M) MP V Sivadasan on average speed achieved by different types of passenger and freight trains in the last five years.

While in 2019-20, the average speed of freight trains was 23.6 km/hour, even in 2023-24 (till November), it hasn't registered any betterment.

Sivadasan also wanted to know "whether the Railways has any systematic data and analysis regarding the average speed of different types of passenger and freight trains", and "the reasons for the decline in the average speed of trains as reported in the media".

The data showed that mail/express trains have shown a very marginal improvement of 51.1 kmph in 2023-24 (till November) from 50.6 kmph in 2019-20.

The ordinary trains also registered a small improvement from 33.5 kmph in 2019-20 to 35.1 in 2023-24.

The Railways hasn't shared any data of the years 2020-21 to 2022-23 saying, "data is not representative, being affected by Covid pandemic."

Sources in the Railway Ministry say that average speed of all trains improved post-Covid when operations were resumed in a staggered manner but since the complete operations were started in June 2022, it didn't report the data of 2021-22 and 2022-23 for any comparison.

Senior train controllers and goods train drivers say several factors such as shortage of manpower in the control department, over utilisation of track leading to congestion, ongoing maintenance of signal, track, OHE etc are some of the reasons which restrict the speed of trains, both passenger and goods.

"Control department is among the most crucial in the Railways, however, it has been neglected by the Railway Board,” a chief division train controller said suggesting measures such as higher salary and perks for controllers who, according to him, perform the "most stressful and challenging" task and are crucial for safe and smooth train operations.

Senior railway officials also say that earlier, due to higher pay scales and added benefits, the major feeder cadre (station master) had a way forward for a fast promotional avenue.

In a letter to the Railway Board on August 4, Pranai Prabhakar, a senior railway official, associated with train operations, said "The initial grade pay of station masters and section controllers were made identical in the VIIth CPC (Central Pay Commission). Due to this there is a reluctance from the station masters category to apply for the train controllers post."

According to him, since the controller's job, by its very nature, is highly intensive and demands sustained attention throughout their entire duty hours, very few from the feeder cadre now opt for the job.

Prabhakar also cautioned the railways to desist from the present practice of transferring medically unfit persons to the control section.

"Medically decategorised persons should generally not be selected as train controllers. Any handicap of a person is a restricting factor for working as a controller, where there is a high level of stressed working condition," he wrote, adding this not only affects the health of the candidate who is already having a medical condition but also increases the burden of co-controllers, hampering overall performance of the setup.