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News Topical, Digital Desk : Nearly 89 per cent of train tickets are being booked online, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Rajya Sabha on Friday. Passengers have two options to book reserved train tickets. These include booking tickets online or through computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters.
More than 2.5 crore user IDs have been deactivated
In a written reply, the Railway Minister said that in order to curb the glitches in the ticket booking system, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has recently deactivated more than 2.5 crore user IDs. The Railway Minister said that the pattern of demand for reserved seats in the railways is not the same throughout the year.
Trains on popular routes are usually crowded
Trains on popular routes are usually crowded. Other trains usually have available seats. Vaishnav informed about various steps taken by the ministry to improve the availability of confirmed tickets, transparency. He said that the waiting list status of trains is monitored on a regular basis. Railways operates special train services to meet the additional demand.
In response to another question, the Railway Minister said that in the last five years, there have been an average of 67 incidents of trackmen getting hit by trains while on duty. In 2013-14, there were 196 such incidents. The Railway Minister apprised the Rajya Sabha of various measures related to the welfare of track safety personnel. At present, more than 2.13 lakh track maintainers (including keymen, gatemen and trolley men) are working in the Railways.
Over 6,000 complaints received on poor food quality: Minister
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday that 6,645 complaints were lodged by passengers regarding poor quality of food in the year 2024-25, out of which food suppliers were fined in 1,341 cases. Vaishnaw said in the reply that warnings were issued in a total of 2,995 cases, appropriate advice was given in 1,547 cases and other measures were taken in the remaining 762 cases.
Kinet will supply 120 Vande Bharat sleeper trains
Responding to another question, the Railway Minister said that Kinet Railway Solutions Limited will supply 120 trains with 16 coaches as per the contract. Railways have awarded contracts to technology partners for manufacturing 200 Vande Bharat sleeper trains.
halts en route and maintenance work on the section
In response to another question, the Railway Minister said that the average speed of a train depends on the geometry of the track, halts en route and maintenance work in the section etc. The maximum operating speed of Vande Bharat trains currently running is 160 kmph.
During the last 10 years, railway tracks have been upgraded and improved to increase speed capacity. In 2014, five percent of tracks were suitable to run trains at speeds of 130 kmph and above, while in 2025, 21.8 percent of tracks are capable of withstanding such speeds.
CCTV cameras are being installed on engines
Responding to another question, the Railway Minister said that installation of CCTVs in engines is not considered a violation of the privacy of loco pilots. A plan has been made to install CCTVs in trains to enhance safety in train operations. CCTV cameras are being installed on engines. This will also help in better training, as well as help in investigating the causes of incidents in post-incident analysis.
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