An important safety indicator, accidents per million train kilometres, has also shown substantial improvement.
Indian Railways Train Accidents Hit Record Low in 2025-26: Vaishnaw Highlights Safety Milestone
On Friday, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament that with only 11 consequential train accidents reported till November, India has witnessed a striking reduction in railway accidents in 2025-26. The minister said in a written response to questions in the Rajya Sabha That The sharp decline reflects a sustained emphasis on safety across Indian Railways,
He gave a Response to whether the government has taken adequate measures to prevent train accidents and highlighted that safety has been accorded the highest priority and investments and reforms over recent years have significantly improved operational safety. He highlighted that consequential train accidents have come down from 135 in 2014-15 to 31 in 2024-25 and further to just 11 so far in 2025-26.
The minister also provided historical context to highlight the level of improvement: between 2004 and 2014, there were 1,711 consequential train accidents, averaging about 171 per year. This makes the current levels a fraction of those earlier figures, indicating a long-term downward trend.
An important safety indicator, accidents per million train kilometres, has also shown substantial improvement. Vaishnaw disclosed that this index has fallen from 0.11 in 2014-15 to 0.03 in 2024-25, indicating an approximate 73% enhancement in operational safety efficiency.
The minister outlined several key measures to strengthen safety infrastructure. These include the installation of Electrical/Electronic Interlocking Systems with centralised control at 6,656 stations to reduce human error, and interlocking at 10,098 level crossing gates to prevent accidents at crossings. Complete track circuiting, which electrically verifies track occupancy, has been provided at 6,661 stations so far.
The minister also spoke about the phased rollout of Kavach, a train collision avoidance system. Its version 4.0 has been commissioned on key sections of the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah routes, with further implementation planned across identified routes of Indian Railways, he added.
Vaishnaw’s reply highlights that multifaceted safety enhancements, such as technological upgrades and infrastructure strengthening, have played a key role in achieving this historic low in train accidents.
Source: Hindustan Times
