New Delhi, April 18: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav announced on Friday that incidents of track fractures in Indian Railways have decreased by 92%, while weld failures have dropped by 93%. This marks a significant improvement in track safety.
In a national publication, Vaishnav stated that these achievements are part of extensive structural reforms initiated after 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi prioritized safety in railway operations.
He explained that railway safety is globally assessed based on deaths or accidents per billion passenger-kilometers, allowing for comparisons between countries.
According to Vaishnav, while the European Union records approximately 0.09 in this metric, India has improved its Consequential Accident Index to 0.01, strengthening its position among countries with large and complex rail networks.
He highlighted decade-over-decade statistics as clear evidence of this change. Consequential train accidents have plummeted from 135 in 2014-15 to just 16 in 2025-26, reflecting an 89% reduction.
During the same period, the accident index fell from 0.11 to 0.01, indicating that despite the expansion of train operations, the railway network has become significantly safer.
Vaishnav emphasized that in a complex rail system like India’s, where passenger, freight, suburban, and express services operate on the same tracks, this achievement is even more crucial.
He described this change not merely as incremental improvements but as a structural transformation made possible by continuous investment, technological upgrades, and a long-term commitment to safety policies.
Vaishnav stated, “India’s railway safety journey should be viewed based on the pace of improvement and intent, rather than immediate comparisons to global standards. This perspective is gradually bringing the country in line with the world’s leading rail networks.”
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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