Railways’ best safety record in 5 years

Better tracks and coaches and more focus on maintenance have paid off

With 40 deaths in 75 accidents between September 2017 and August 2018, the Indian railways has registered its best safety figures in five years for the corresponding 12-month period, a ministry official has said, quoting official data.

There were 80 train accidents and 249 fatalities between September 2016 and August 2017 — the Indore-Patna Express derailment near Kanpur in November 2016 alone had killed over 150 passengers. In the corresponding period for 2017 and 2018, the number of deaths stood at 40, the official said.

There were two major accidents during this period — the derailment of the Utkal Express in August 2017 which killed over 20 people, and the death of 13 children in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on April 26 this year after a train rammed into their school van.

Similarly, between September 2013 and August 2014, the number of deaths was 275 in 139 accidents, in the corresponding period in 2014-2015, the number was 196 deaths in 108 accidents.

“Better tracks, replacement of existing coaches with LHB ones and more focus on maintenance in the last four years have resulted in fewer accidents due to technical reasons,” he said. The official said that the vast reduction in fatalities happened because of the massive renewal of tracks, regular safety reviews, better safety training of staff and close monitoring.