Indian Railways has recorded one of its most significant safety milestones to date, reporting a dramatic decline in train accidents for the ongoing financial year. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Rajya Sabha that only 11 railway accidents have occurred so far in 2025–26 — a number that marks a historic low for the national transporter. This stands in stark contrast to the decade between 2004 and 2014, when India witnessed 1,711 accidents, averaging 171 incidents per year.
The downward trend has been consistent for several years. Consequential train accidents fell from 135 in 2014–15 to 31 in 2024–25, before dropping even further this year. Officials attribute this sustained improvement to aggressive safety modernisation, expanded surveillance, and a tripling of the railway safety budget. The allocation has risen from Rs 39,463 crore in 2013–14 to Rs 1,16,470 crore in the current fiscal year, giving the ministry the financial leverage needed for system-wide upgrades.
A major factor behind this turnaround has been the rapid technological transformation of India’s railway signalling and safety architecture. Electrical and electronic interlocking systems — which reduce the scope for human error by automating the control of points and signals — have now been installed at 6,656 stations. Similarly, interlocking at 10,098 level crossing gates and complete track circuiting at 6,661 stations have enabled real-time monitoring of track occupancy, significantly lowering collision risks.
Another notable intervention has been the widespread deployment of GPS-based Fog Safety Devices (FSDs), which assist loco pilots in navigating poor visibility conditions. The rollout has grown exponentially from just 90 devices in 2014 to 25,939 devices in 2025 — an increase of nearly 300 times. These have become indispensable during the winter months, when dense fog traditionally posed serious operational hazards.
The ministry also highlighted the incremental adoption of Kavach, India’s indigenous automatic train protection system. The latest version, Kavach 4.0, has been successfully commissioned on select high-density corridors, with work underway to cover 15,512 route kilometres. Designed to prevent collisions and ensure speed control, Kavach is expected to become a cornerstone of India’s rail safety framework.
Structural improvements in track infrastructure have also played a critical role. The use of high-quality rails and deployment of longer welded rail panels — now spanning 77,522 kilometres, nearly eight times more than before — has greatly reduced the number of vulnerable joints. Ultrasonic Flaw Detection (USFD) testing, used to identify internal rail defects, has expanded significantly, contributing to a 90% drop in weld failures and an 88% fall in rail fractures since 2013–14.
Simultaneously, the complete elimination of 8,948 unmanned level crossings on broad-gauge routes in 2019 removed a major source of fatalities and collisions. Passenger safety has also been enhanced through the large-scale shift from older ICF coaches to modern LHB coaches — with production increasing from 2,337 units in 2004–14 to 42,677 units in the latest period. These coaches are designed to be safer during derailments, reducing the risk of piling and fatalities.
Fire safety upgrades, improved bridge inspection protocols, and more rigorous operational planning — such as the 52-week Rolling Block maintenance system — have contributed further to accident reduction. Meanwhile, coordinated patrols with GRP, state police, and national agencies like the CBI and NIA have strengthened railway security in vulnerable regions.
Overall, the data tabled in Parliament indicates that the Indian Railways’ multi-layered approach — involving technology, infrastructure, training, and law-enforcement coordination — has fundamentally reshaped safety outcomes. With consequential accidents now reduced to single digits for the first time in decades, the ministry says the priority is to sustain these reforms and continue expanding advanced systems such as Kavach across the network.
