200 train accidents claimed 351 lives in the last 5 years: railway data

Information shared by the Indian Railways from 17 railway zones shows that 351 people were killed and 970 injured in 200 subsequent rail accidents in the last five years.

A consequential train accident is defined by the railways as an accident with serious consequences that would include loss of life, injury, damage to railway property and disruption of railway traffic. Accidents include derailments, fires, collisions and other such incidents.

Also read: UP train crash: Death toll rises to 4; Flood probe underway

RTI query

The information was shared in response to an RTI (Right to Information) query by Vivek Pandey, an RTI activist.

A comparison of fatalities across railway zones shows that as many as 297 people were killed in ten subsequent accidents in the southeastern zone, including the three-train accident in Balasore in June 2023.

Also read: Uttar Pradesh: Sabarmati Express derails near Kanpur; No injuries were reported

Safer railway zones without losses

The safer railway zones where there were no accidents during the period in question included Southern Railway, Konkan Railway, North Eastern Railway and South Western Railway.

In the five years from 2019 to 2024, the Indian Railways paid compensation worth Rs 32 million, including Rs 26.83 million to the families of the deceased.

Main causes of accidents

A senior Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) official said The Times of India that the main causes of the number of accidents are poor track maintenance and outdated infrastructure. The other problems are inefficient signaling systems, lack of maintenance of bridges and tunnels, and improper track alignment.

Human error, including due to driver fatigue, lack of training, negligence, signal failures and communication breakdowns between railway staff, are factors that have led to several derailments. Overcrowded passenger trains and overloaded freight trains put additional strain on the tracks and increase the risk of derailments, an activist told the newspaper.

Also read: Kanchanjunga crash | Initial investigation blames freight train crew negligence and “excessive” speed

Accidents have declined: Vaishnaw

However, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the number of train accidents has come down from 171 accidents per year a decade ago to 40 accidents per year now.

India’s railway network is one of the busiest in the world, carrying millions of passengers and large volumes of goods every day.