The Railways Ministry on Wednesday said railway safety has been strengthened in the country through modern technology, infrastructure and enhanced maintenance, and only two consequential train accidents have been recorded in the current financial year (2026-27) so far.

“Safety is accorded the highest priority on Indian Railways. As a consequence of various safety measures taken over the years, there has been a steep decline in the number of accidents, which includes collisions and train derailments,” the ministry said in a statement.

It shared data showing that the number of consequential train accidents came down from 135 in 2014-15 to 31 in 2024-25, 16 in 2025-26, and only two till June in 2026-27.

The ministry also said expenditure on safety-related activities has increased over the years from Rs 39,200 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 1,14,022 crore in 2024-25, Rs 1,17,693 crore in 2025-26 and an estimated Rs 1,20,389 crore in the current financial year.

Detailing the measures taken to boost safety, the ministry said: “Electrical and Electronic Interlocking Systems with centralised operation of points and signals have been provided at 6,671 stations up to June 30, 2026, to reduce accidents due to human failure. Interlocking has been provided at 10,395 level-crossing gates for enhancing safety.”

The statement added that, after extensive and elaborate trials, Kavach Version 4.0 had been successfully commissioned on 2,490 route kilometres as of July 13, 2026, covering the high-density Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah routes.

Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection system that aids loco pilots in operating trains within specified speed limits by automatically applying brakes if the loco pilot fails to do so. It also helps trains run safely during inclement weather.