Now Reading: Indian Railways reports 88% drop in train accidents since 2014-15
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Indian Railways reports 88% drop in train accidents since 2014-15
The number of consequential train accidents on Indian Railways fell from 135 in 2014-15 to 16 in 2025-26, an 88% reduction, according to data presented by the Ministry of Railways in the Lok Sabha Monsoon Session. The consequential accident index also dropped from 0.11 to 0.01, a 91% decline. The government attributes this improvement to safety initiatives including the Kavach anti-collision system, which has been tested at 160 kmph on the Chipyana Buzurg-Tundla route using a Vande Bharat trainset.
Railway safety expenditure has risen from Rs 39,200 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 1,20,389 crore in 2026-27, an increase of about 207%. The broader push covers signalling, track infrastructure, level-crossing improvements, and Kavach deployment. Over 94,000 technicians and engineers have been trained, including 57,000 loco pilots and assistant loco pilots. The government has said requisite funds for Kavach are being made available according to work progress.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Indian Railways operates one of the world's largest networks by passenger density, where even minor signalling failures can compound into major disasters. The reduction from 135 to 16 consequential accidents spans a decade, covering 21 zones and over 68,000 route kilometres. Kavach, an indigenously developed train collision protection system, works by preventing signal-passing-at-danger and enforcing automatic braking. Its rollout now targets the highest-density sections first: the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah corridors, which carry 60% of traffic. The next milestone will be the full commissioning of Kavach on at least 10,000 route kilometres by 2027-28, requiring roughly Rs 5,000 crore in installation costs alone. Whether the accident rate can sustain this decline as Kavach scales remains dependent on consistent funding and track-side infrastructure upgrades.
Source: businesstoday.in
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