In a landmark shift that is reshaping one of the world’s largest rail networks, Indian Railways has achieved a dramatic improvement in safety outcomes over the past decade, driven by sustained investment, indigenous technology, and systemic reforms. With over two crore passengers travelling daily on more than 25,000 trains, the transformation signals a structural overhaul in how safety is embedded into operations.
Union Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, outlining the progress, emphasised that since 2014, the Indian Railways has adopted a “Safety First” approach—prioritising prevention over response and aligning with global benchmarks in railway safety.
The most striking indicator of progress is the steep decline in consequential train accidents. From 135 accidents in 2014–15, the number has dropped to just 16 in 2025–26, representing an 89% reduction, even as operations have expanded significantly.
The Consequential Accident Index, a key global metric, has also improved sharply from 0.11 to 0.01, placing India among the safer large mixed-traffic railway systems worldwide.
The Minister stressed that the real measure of success lies in lives saved, reflecting a system increasingly designed to prevent catastrophic failures rather than merely respond to them.
This transformation has been underpinned by unprecedented financial commitment. Safety-related expenditure has surged from ₹39,200 crore in 2013–14 to ₹1,17,693 crore in 2025–26, with a planned allocation of ₹1,20,389 crore for 2026–27—a more than threefold increase.
This sustained funding has enabled large-scale upgrades in:
● Track infrastructure
● Signalling systems
● Rolling stock
● Safety technologies
Officials noted that consistent budgetary support over a decade distinguishes this reform from one-off interventions. At the heart of the safety overhaul is Kavach, India’s indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system. Designed to the highest global safety standards, Kavach automatically intervenes when a train driver misses a signal or exceeds speed limits. The latest Kavach 4.0 system has been deployed across 1,452 route kilometres on high-density corridors such as Delhi–Mumbai and Delhi–Howrah.
This marks a major step toward building a technology-driven, fail-safe railway ecosystem.
In a historic safety milestone, Indian Railways has completely eliminated unmanned level crossings on the broad-gauge network by January 2019—long considered one of the most dangerous interfaces between road and rail. This was achieved through the construction of over 14,000 road overbridges and underpasses, significantly reducing accident risks.
