Rail Minister: Train Accidents Down 15x, Safety Budget Triples

• Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw presented statistics in Parliament showing a significant reduction in train accidents.
• Average annual accidents decreased from 171 (2004-14) to 11 (2025-26, till Nov), and from 135 (2014-15) to 31 (2024-25).
• This improvement is attributed to a threefold increase in safety budget (₹39,463 Cr to ₹1,16,470 Cr) and technological advancements.
• Technological upgrades include increased fog safety devices (90 to 25,939), centralized electronic interlocking, automatic track circuits, and rapid Kavach system deployment.
• Measures to enhance safety include strict action against track tampering, increased patrolling, awareness campaigns, and interlocking systems at 6,656 stations and 10,098 level crossings by Oct 2025.

Why It Matters: Rail safety improvements drastically cut train accidents.