Safer tracks, smarter trains

Indian Railways has achieved remarkable safety improvements through modern technology, training, and infrastructure upgrades, reducing accidents significantly while managing the world's largest passenger network and setting global safety benchmarks

- ANIL KUMAR KHANDELWAL

Indians are now safer on the railways than ever before, thanks to well-thought-out initiatives over the past decade delivering significant results. This achievement is particularly commendable given that no other country transports more people by rail than India, which handles over 1 lakh crore Passenger Kilometres (PKM) and approximately 685 crore passengers annually. The feat is unparalleled, even by China, which, despite its more extensive rail network and comparable population, transports only around 300 crore passengers annually.

The remarkable improvements in safety are evidenced by a steep decline in consequential train accidents—a key metric for serious incidents—from 473 in 2000-01 to just 40 in 2023-24. This progress is the result of focused efforts such as track improvements, the elimination of unmanned level crossings, regular bridge health monitoring, and the digitization of stations, among other initiatives.

These achievements become even more impressive considering the scale involved. On an average day, over 2 crore passengers travel across India's 70,000 Route Kilometre (RKM) network, a number that rises to 3 crore daily during peak seasons, setting yet another world record.