Indian Railways, which carries over two crore passengers daily across more than 25,000 trains, has witnessed a significant improvement in safety outcomes over the last decade, driven by stronger infrastructure, advanced monitoring systems and sustained financial investment. While expansion once dominated the public narrative, railway policy since 2014 has increasingly placed safety at the centre of operations.

Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, writing in a national publication, highlighted that global railway safety is measured through fatalities or accidents per billion passenger-kilometres. He said that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first term, a clear focus was established on “Safety First”, leading to a comprehensive technology-led safety transformation.

According to Vaishnaw, the Consequential Accident Index has now fallen to 0.01, helping Indian Railways compare favourably with global averages for large mixed-traffic rail systems. He noted that consequential train accidents dropped sharply from 135 in 2014–15 to 16 in 2025–26, a reduction of nearly 89 percent, even as rail operations expanded.

Vaishnaw said the safety push has been backed by a major financial commitment, with safety-related expenditure rising from Rs 39,200 crore in 2013–14 to Rs 1,17,693 crore in 2025–26, and Rs 1,20,389 crore planned for 2026–27.

Among key initiatives is Kavach, India’s indigenous Automatic Train Protection system, which has been commissioned across 1,452 route kilometres on high-density corridors. The Minister also pointed to the elimination of unmanned level crossings on the broad gauge network by January 2019, supported by construction of more than 14,000 road overbridges and underpasses.

He further highlighted improvements in rolling stock and track quality, including the production of over 42,600 LHB coaches between 2014 and 2025, and advanced rail testing that has reduced fractures and weld failures significantly.

Vaishnaw stressed that safety success is often reflected in the absence of headlines, adding that sustained reductions in accidents and fatalities indicate a deeper cultural shift across the railway system.