Punctuality:
  1. Term punctuality generally refers to Mail/Exp trains rather than Goods trains.
  2. Mail/Exp trains have scheduled timings. In addition, cushion timings are given as allowances.
  3. In spite of that, some Mail/Exp trains arrive/depart late at stations. Why?
Reasons for the loss of punctuality :
  • Late arrival of connecting rake
  • Late arrival of train loco
  • Late reporting of train crew
  • Enroute shunting- Attaching/Detaching of slop coaches, VPUs, ICs and loco change
  • Accidents
  • Natural calamities-Heavy rain, cyclone, etc.
  • Sabotage by anti-social elements Public agitations
  • ACP by traveling public
  • Commercial- parcel loading/unloading
  • Carriage watering and CTS (Clean Train Station)
  • Assets failures/Equipment failures
Equipment failures:
  • Accounts for 75% of loss of punctuality
  • Creates unsafe condition for trains
  • Capable of causing accidents
  • Broadly classified as Engineering failures, S&T failures, C&W failures, Loco failures, Electrical failures (TRD & G) and human failures.
S&T Failures:
  • Point failures—Housing problem-point motor not working
  • Signal failure- will cause block instrument failure also
  • Block instrument failure-will cause signal failure also
  • IBS failure- Entire section BI working will be suspended
  • Axis counter failure-will cause block instrument failure
  • Track circuit failure-will cause signal failure and BI failure
  • Panel failure-will lead to total failure in a station
  • Communication failure- Normal BI working will be affected- may cause total interruption of communication also
  • Disconnection of gears due to problem- Normal working will be affected
  • failures- the Wrong operation of BI/ Signals knobs will lead to signal and BI failures
  • Loco Failures:
  • AC loco failure- will cause dislocation of train services in a section
  • Diesel loco failure- will cause dislocation of train services in a section
Electrical Failures:
  • OHE Snapping- cause dislocation of train services
  • OHE Equipment failures- cause dislocation to train services
  • Bursting of power block-delay to trains
  • OHE supply failure-cause dislocation of train services
  • Electrical failures in coaches- delay to trains
  • AC failures in coaches-delay to trains
  • Power supply failure at stations-cause signal and panel failures
Human failure:
  • Human resource is a big asset of Railways
  • Failure of this element- late clearance of signals-wrong operation of S&T gears- sleeping on duty putting trains at signals- lack of knowledge in rules- inadequate training in a particular field- improper maintenance –lack of supervision-poor quality of inspection-cause delay to trains.