The Indian Railways has touched its “highest-ever benchmark of rail safety”, with consequential train accidents falling from an annual average of 171 between 2004 and 2014 to just 11 so far in 2025-26, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

In a detailed reply, Vaishnaw said the sharp decline was backed by a multi-fold rise in safety spending, massive technological upgrades, faster investigations into sabotage attempts and closer coordination with state police and central agencies.

The minister said the safety budget has nearly tripled over the past decade, from Rs 39,463 crore in 2013–14 to Rs 1,16,470 crore in the current fiscal, enabling Indian Railways to overhaul ageing assets, ramp up surveillance and strengthen frontline infrastructure. He highlighted a

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