'8 of every 100 trains cancelled in 2014-2016 due to unrest'

Of every 100 trains that the Railways cancelled during 2014-2016, eight were due to law and order issues or agitations, the government told Parliament today.
In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Railways, Rajen Gohain said that in 2014, 31 trains were cancelled due to law and order issues, while in 2015, the number rose to 540.
In 2016, the number jumped to 1,149 and till June this year, the number of trains cancelled over law and order issues was at 121.
In 2014, 2015, and 2016, the total numbers of trains cancelled were 2,679, 8,605 and 9,235, respectively.

The number of trains diverted by the Railways in 2014, 2015 and 2016, were 4,056, 3,585 and 4,048, respectively, the minister said.
Till June, 4,409 trains were cancelled while 1,701 were diverted.

Most train cancellations were due to bad weather, delay in arrival of link rake, construction and maintenance work, accidents, and law and order problems, the minister informed the House.
"The yearly loss to Railways due to cancellation or deviation of trains is not maintained," the minister said.
However, due to train accidents, the approximate cost of damage, Gohain said, was Rs 38.02 crore in 2014, Rs 72.08 crore in 2015, and Rs 59.24 crore in 2016, respectively.