‘You Need To Reform Not Lie’, Piyush Goyal Warns Top Railway Officials Against Fudging Punctuality Data

Trains in India are mired by delays due to which passengers suffer a lot but if, suddenly, railway data show an unprecedented improvement in its punctuality performance, few can digest it.

Rail Minister of India Piyush Goyal, in the wake of passengers’ feedback varying from the figures provided by zonal railways, has warned zonal railways to not manipulate data in order to show improvement in punctuality, reported The Economic Times.

Earlier, figures had been released by railways showing that punctuality rates of trains was at 76 per cent compared to an average of 60 per cent all through.

Railway board has sent a letter to the zonal heads of the railways last week in which it warned them for manipulating punctuality data of trains.

"Wrong feeding of arrival/departure of trains at terminals and interchange points continues to be adopted by zonal railways and divisions falsify records to improve punctuality.”

"Feedback from general public through social media is continuously being received on daily basis. MR (Minister of Railways) has expressed his serious displeasure and directed that the practice must stop forthwith. Please ensure strict compliance to avoid any unpleasant situation," the letter said.

Data from the punctuality performance shows that 21 divisions of railways had recorded a punctuality rate of 90 per cent and above during the period from 17 September to 23 September. During the same period Ranchi division had achieved 100 per cent punctuality.

The railway, just two months back, was running at an average punctuality of 60 per cent.

Railways has set a new ambitious time table to achieve a punctuality rate of 90 per cent.