With no deaths in last 11 months, 2019-20 emerges as safest year for railways

NEW DELHI: The Indian Railways has registered its best-ever safety record in the current financial year with no deaths in the last 11 months, the national transporter said on Tuesday, adding that this was a milestone in its 166-year history.

In a statement, the railways said from April 1, 2019 to February 24, 2020, there was no fatality of any railway passenger in any consequential railway accident.

"The remarkable feat has been achieved for the first time in the year 2019-20 since introduction of railway system in India 166 years ago in the year 1853. The zero passenger fatalities in the last 11 months is a result of continuous efforts by Indian Railways to improve safety performance in all respects," the statement said.

The statement added that passenger safety being its topmost priority, the measures undertaken for improvement included a massive renewal of railway tracks, effective track maintenance, stringent monitoring of safety aspects, improved training of the railway staff, improvements in the signalling system, use of modern technology for safety works, switching over to modern and safer LHB coaches in phases from the conventional ICF coaches.

"All the above could become possible with inputs in the system in the form of Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK) introduced in the year 201718 with a corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore to be spent in the next five years, having an annual outlay of Rs 20,000 crore.

With this fund, it has been possible to undertake very critical safety works of urgent nature and the results are evident," the statement said.