Indian Railways Reports Sharp Decline in Accidents and Deaths Due to Safety Push

New Delhi, Mar 19, 2026: Indian Railways has recorded a significant improvement in operational safety, with a steep reduction in consequential train accidents and related casualties over the past decade, according to the latest official data.

The government stated that consequential train accidents have fallen from 135 in 2014–15 to just 14 in 2025–26 (up to February 2026), marking a decline of nearly 90 percent.Officials highlighted that overall consequential accidents dropped from 1,711 during 2004–05 to 2013–14 to 678 in the period 2014–15 to 2023–24, reflecting sustained improvements in safety management.

The number of deaths in such incidents has also reduced, from 904 in the earlier decade to 748 in the subsequent ten-year period, while injuries have declined significantly as well.The Railways attributed this progress to continuous investment in safety infrastructure, upgraded signalling systems, and better track maintenance practices across the network.Expenditure on safety-related activities has also seen a sharp rise, increasing from ₹39,200 crore in 2013–14 to over ₹1.20 lakh crore in 2026–27 estimates.

Officials said thousands of stations have been equipped with electronic interlocking systems to reduce human error in train operations.Interlocking systems have been installed at over 10,000 level crossing gates to improve safety at critical junctions.

Complete track circuiting has also been implemented at thousands of stations to ensure accurate detection of track occupancy through electronic systems.The indigenous Automatic Train Protection system, Kavach, has been deployed on key high-density routes including the Delhi–Mumbai and Delhi–Howrah corridors, further strengthening safety mechanisms.

Railway authorities said the continued expansion of such technologies is expected to further reduce accidents and improve passenger safety across the national network.