East Coast Railway punctuality rates drop to lowest among all zones
The decline follows a recent complaint from former chief secretary Pradeep Jena regarding significant delays in an Intercity Super Fast Express.
The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has recorded the lowest punctuality rate among all 18 railway zones for the 2026-27 fiscal year up to August, according to The New Indian Express.
The punctuality performance for the current period stands at 43.40 per cent. This follows a gradual decline from a high of 95.82 per cent in 2020-21.
The decline in performance was highlighted after former chief secretary Pradeep Jena reported that an Intercity Super Fast Express he travelled on November 4 started 1.30 hour late and arrived 4.15 hours late. Jena claimed there was something seriously wrong with operations within the Khurda division.
Data shows ECoR punctuality was 89.23 per cent in 2021-22, 78.37 per cent in 2022-23, 62.53 per cent in 2023-24, 62.36 per cent in 2024-25, and 58.52 per cent in 2025-26.
Senior journalist Subhas Panigrahi alleged that passengers face regular inconvenience in the Sambalpur division, claiming Super Fast Expresses often halt near Lapanga railway station to allow freight trains to pass.
ECoR sources said track maintenance, infrastructure upgradation, and safety works are causing congestion and speed restrictions. An official stated that speed limits in elephant corridors and Odisha's vulnerability to calamities also affect movement.