Rail Accidents Down 88% Since 2014-15; Kavach Deployed on 2,569 Route Km: Centre
New Delhi, July 29 (TNT): Consequential train accidents on Indian Railways have declined by 88 per cent over the past decade, falling from 135 in 2014-15 to 16 in 2025-26, while only two accidents have been recorded so far in 2026-27 (up to June), Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in formed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
In a written reply, Vaishnaw said safety remains the highest priority for Indian Railways and attributed the decline in accidents to sustained investments in safety infrastructure and technological interventions.
The Union minister said expenditure on safety-related activities has increased from ₹39,200 crore in 2013-14 to ₹1.20 lakh crore in 2026-27.
He said Indian Railways has commissioned electronic interlocking systems at 6,671 stations, provided interlocking at 10,395 level crossing gates, eliminated all unmanned broad gauge level crossings, and strengthened track and bridge maintenance through mechanisation, ultrasonic rail testing, longer welded rails and regular inspections.
Highlighting the progress of the indigenous Kavach Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, Vaishnaw said the latest Version 4.0 has been commissioned on 2,569 route kilometres as of July 20, 2026, covering sections of the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah corridors.
He said trackside Kavach installation has also been taken up over 21,858 route kilometres, including sections passing through Southern Railway.
According to the Union minister, 11,253 km of optical fibre cable has been laid, 1,668 telecom towers installed, 988 station data centres commissioned, trackside equipment installed over 7,726 route kilometres, and 6,153 locomotives equipped with Kavach.
Installation work is also underway on 7,327 additional locomotives and 1,200 EMU/MEMU rakes.
Vaishnaw said more than 94,000 personnel, including around 57,000 loco pilots and assistant loco pilots, have been trained on Kavach technology.
He said ₹3,874 crore has been spent on Kavach implementation up to June 2026, while ₹2,066 crore has been allocated for the project in 2026-27.
TNT KM
