Train apps, station timings not in sync

Digital platforms are confusing railway passengers by not giving them updated information. Passengers state that there is a severe lack of coordination between the train timings shown in various websites and applications like Rail Yatra and the actual timings of trains on the tracks. Most of the passengers who come to the stations in haste, thinking that their train might have already reached the platform according to the scheduled time in the app, become frustrated as the train does not come on the platform even after an hour.

It is the same case with the local MMTS trains. Train timings shown in the MMTS website are not seen on the track; neither the train number matches not the time of arrival and departure.

According to some users, apps show reduced or delayed timings comparatively, sometimes there is even a difference of hours. Mr. B Venkateshwarlu, a regular passenger from Secunderabad to Chennai, mentioned, “The timings shown in mobile applications like Rail yatra and other apps are different from the actual arrival and departure times of trains in the stations. The app shows only a 5 minute delay but in reality, there is a delay of more than one hour sometimes.”

Some of the frustrated passengers are taking to the micro blogging site twitter and complaining about the delayed train timings. One of the tweets from Mr. Ranjan reads, “Train to arrive at 10:38am and has arrived at 6pm. Whose fault it is? Booked tickets in AC coach, but had to come back for the absurd delay. Now will railway return full money or will usurp 50% of it? Railway = Lifeline of nation.” However, for the same tweet, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation has replied providing a link which mentions that the railways give a full refund to the passenger if the train is delayed more than three hours.

Also, delays in MMTS trains affect people who depend on them to catch their Express trains. Added to the delay, there is also a lot of confusion when it comes to MMTS train announcements. When the announcement says “train number 47175 has arrived in the platform”, that train would be leaving the platform by then. A college student, Ms. Manya Sai, said that there was no match in the timings shown in the ‘MMTS train timings’ website and the train that was on the platform.