Indian Railways Reports 88% Drop in Consequential Train Accidents Over the Last 12 Years

Consequential train accidents on the Indian Railways network have declined by 88% over the last 12 years, according to a Business Standard report citing data released by the Railway Ministry.  

The number of such accidents fell from 118 in 2013-14 to 14 in 2025-26. So far in the current financial year, two consequential accidents have been reported.  

These incidents include derailments, collisions, fires, and level-crossing accidents that cause casualties, damage to railway assets, or disruption to train services. 

Safety Spending Increased 

The ministry attributed the decline to higher spending on railway safety and maintenance over the past decade. Allocation for safety-related works has increased to ₹1.2 trillion in 2026-27 from around ₹39,200 crore in 2013-14.  

The expenditure has been used for track renewal, signalling upgrades, replacement of older coaches with Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches, removal of unmanned broad-gauge level crossings, and greater use of technology during inspections and maintenance. 

Rail Network Upgrades Continue 

Safety-related infrastructure work has also expanded across the network. Interlocking has been completed at 10,395 level crossing gates, allowing railway signals and gates to function together and reduce conflicting train movements.  

Complete track circuiting has been provided at 6,671 stations, enabling railway staff to electronically confirm whether a track is occupied before clearing a train to proceed. 

Kavach Coverage Expands 

The Railways has continued the rollout of Kavach, its indigenous automatic train protection system. Kavach Version 4.0 has now been commissioned on 2,569 route kilometres, including sections of the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah corridors.  

The system is designed to apply brakes automatically if a loco pilot does not respond to warnings or exceeds the permitted speed.  

Passenger train trials began in February 2016, and Kavach was adopted as India's national automatic train protection system in July 2020. 

Accident Index Also Improves 

The Consequential Accident Index, which measures accidents per million train kilometres, declined from 0.11 in 2014-15 to 0.01 in 2025-26, nearly 91% reduction.  

The ministry said work will continue on expanding safety systems, modernising railway infrastructure and strengthening track maintenance as part of its ongoing operational safety programme. 

Read More: India Steps Up Sustainable Aviation Fuel Readiness Ahead of CORSIA 2027! 

Conclusion 

Indian Railways has reported lower accident numbers alongside continued investment in safety infrastructure and technology. Work on signalling, track upgrades and Kavach deployment is expected to continue across the network. 

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