Indian Railways recorded only 2 consequential train accidents so far in 2026-27: Ashwani Vaishnaw
New Delhi, July 29
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that safety on Indian Railways has been strengthened through technology, infrastructure upgrades and enhanced maintenance which is reflected in the fact that only two consequential train accidents have been recorded so far in 2026-27.
Safety is accorded the highest priority on Indian Railways as a result of which there has been a steep decline in the number of accidents.
The indigenously developed Kavach 4.0 safety system has been successfully commissioned on 2,490 route kilometres covering the high-density Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah routes.
Kavach implementation work is also under progress on 21,937 route kilometres with installation being taken up on 7,435 locomotives and 1,200 EMU/MEMU Trains, the Union Minister said.
Kavach aids the loco pilot in running of trains within specified speed limits by automatic application of brakes in case the loco pilot fails to do so and also helps the trains to run safely during inclement weather.
The implementation of Kavach System involves installation of Station Kavach at each and every station of block section.
Installation of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tags and telecom towers throughout the track length and laying of Optical Fibre Cable along the track, Union Minister Vaishnaw said in a written reply to a query in the Lower House.
"Kavach version 4.0 covers all the major features required for the diverse railway network. This is a significant milestone in safety for Indian Railways. Within a short period, Indian Railways has developed, tested and started deploying Automatic Train Protection System," the Union Minister noted.
As part of the safety measures, Electrical/Electronic Interlocking Systems with centralised operation of points and signals have been provided at 6,671 stations up to June 30, 2026 to reduce accidents due to human failure.
Interlocking of Level Crossing (LC) Gates has been provided at 10,395 Level Crossing Gates for enhancing safety at LC Gates while complete track circuiting of stations to enhance safety by verification of track occupancy by electrical means has been provided at 6,671 stations up to June 30.
Preventive maintenance of coaches and wagons is undertaken to ensure safe train operations.
Replacement of conventional ICF design coaches with LHB design coaches is also being done.
Besides, all unmanned level crossings on Broad Gauge (BG) route have been eliminated by January 2019 and safety of railway bridges is ensured through regular inspections.
The requirement of repair of Bridges is taken up based upon the conditions assessed during these inspections.
Besides, Indian Railways has also displayed Statutory "Fire Notices" for widespread passenger information in all coaches.
Production Units are providing Fire detection and suppression system in newly manufactured Power Cars and Pantry Cars, Fire and Smoke detection system in newly manufactured coaches.
Progressive fitment of the same in existing coaches is also underway by Zonal Railways in a phased manner, the Union Minister added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Two accidents is still two too many, but coming from an era where we had dozens every year, this is a massive improvement. I remember my grandfather telling stories about train accidents in the 80s. However, I'd like to see more transparency on those 21,937 route km where Kavach is still being implemented - we need concrete timelines, not just "work in progress" statements.
Great to see the govt taking safety seriously! My daily commute from Thane to CST used to be so scary before, but now with better signalling and interlocking, it's much smoother. The elimination of all unmanned level crossings by 2019 is something people don't appreciate enough - that alone has saved countless lives. 👏
I appreciate the safety improvements, but the real test will be during monsoon season and foggy winters when visibility is zero. Kavach claims to help with that, but I've seen too many close calls at level crossings during heavy rain. Also, those 1,200 EMU/MEMU trains with Kavach sound impressive but most suburban locals don't have it yet. Hope the rollout speeds up.
This is such encouraging data! My father worked in Railways for 35 years and he always said safety culture starts with maintenance. The shift from ICF to LHB coaches has made a huge difference - those old coaches were like tin cans in a collision. And fire detection systems in new coaches? Long overdue but welcome! Ab train mein aaram se soya ja sakta hai 😊
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