The government announced its successful reduction of train accidents over the past two decades by prioritizing safety in operations. Arjun Munda, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Railways, stated that the average annual train mishaps between 2004 and 2014 stood at approximately 171, which decreased to 71 from 2014 to 2023.
Munda highlighted that the number of train accidents dropped significantly from around 473 in 2000-01 to 48 in 2022-23 due to comprehensive safety measures undertaken by Indian Railways. He noted a decline in consequential train mishaps from 135 in 2014-15 to 107 in 2015-16, reaching 48 in 2022-23.
To enhance safety, the railways established the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh in 2017-18 with a fund of ?1.08 lakh crore for five years, leading to notable progress. The implementation of electrical and electronic interlocking systems at 6,427 stations contributed to fewer accidents due to human errors in signaling and operational services.
Moreover, over 11,093 level crossing gates were equipped with interlocking systems, while track circuiting was completed at 6,377 stations. Locomotives were fitted with vigilance control devices to ensure pilot attentiveness, and fog safety devices using GPS were installed on fog-affected routes. The elimination of unmanned level crossings and continuous round-the-clock track patrolling further contributed to enhanced safety measures.
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