Indian Railways reports 88% decline in train accidents over 12 years

Sustained investments in technology, infrastructure, and safety systems have helped bring consequential train accidents down by 88% in 12 years

  Indian Railways has reduced consequential train accidents by 88 per cent over the past 12 years, marking a significant improvement in rail safety, according to data reported by ANI citing the Railway Ministry. The figures reflect the impact of sustained investments in technology, infrastructure upgrades, and maintenance aimed at improving operational safety across the network.

 

The latest data comes days after Indian Railways announced a major milestone in the rollout of Kavach, its indigenous automatic train protection system. Following extensive trials, Kavach Version 4.0 was commissioned on 2,569 route kilometres as of last week, covering sections of the high-density Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah corridors, as the Railways continues to strengthen its safety systems.

 

 

Consequential train accidents down sharply

 

According to the Railways, consequential train accidents have fallen from 118 in 2013-14 to 14 in 2025-26, representing an 88 per cent decline over the past 12 years. So far in the current financial year, two such accidents have been reported.

 

A consequential train accident refers to an incident that disrupts train operations and results in casualties, damage to railway property, or both. These include collisions, derailments, fires, and accidents at level crossings.

 

The Consequential Accident Index, which measures the number of accidents per million train kilometres, declined from 0.11 in 2014-15 to 0.01 in 2025-26, indicating a nearly 91 per cent improvement in operational safety.

 

What has driven the improvement?

 

Indian Railways attributed the decline in consequential train accidents to sustained investments in safety infrastructure, technology, and maintenance over the past decade. Spending on safety-related works has increased to ₹1.2 trillion in 2026-27 from around ₹39,200 crore in 2013-14, supporting a range of upgrades across the network. Key measures include:

 

• Expansion of the Kavach automatic train protection system
• Modernisation of signalling infrastructure
• Renewal and strengthening of railway tracks
• Replacement of older coaches with safer Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches
• Elimination of unmanned level crossings on the broad-gauge network
• Increased use of technology for inspections and maintenance

 

The Railways has also completed interlocking at 10,395 level crossing gates, which ensures signals and gates operate in coordination to prevent conflicting train movements.

 

In addition, complete track circuiting has been provided at 6,671 stations, enabling railway officials to electronically verify whether a track is occupied before allowing trains to proceed.

 

Kavach rollout continues

 

One of the key pillars of the Railways' safety strategy is Kavach, an indigenous automatic train protection (ATP) system designed to prevent collisions by automatically applying brakes if a loco pilot fails to respond to warnings or exceeds permitted speeds.

 

The technology works alongside upgraded signalling systems and is expected to play an increasingly important role as coverage expands.

 

The first field trials of Kavach on passenger trains began in February 2016. Following extensive testing, the system was adopted as India's National ATP system in July 2020.

 

Focus remains on long-term safety

 

While the sharp reduction in consequential accidents reflects progress, Indian Railways said it will continue investing in safety infrastructure and technology to further improve operational reliability.

 

The ministry added that ongoing efforts will focus on expanding Kavach coverage, modernising railway assets, improving track maintenance, and adopting advanced monitoring systems across the network. These measures are expected to strengthen safety standards further while supporting the growing demand for passenger and freight services.