India’s worst accident occurred in 1981 when an overcrowded passenger train plunged into a river during a cyclone in Bihar, killing about 800 people.
what is india safety record
India is embarking on a US$30 billion modernization of its rail infrastructure to boost its economy and connectivity, with Prime Minister Weishnau said last month that the tracks were being built “very rapidly”.
Vaishnoh said India will build 5,200 kilometers of new tracks in 2022 and upgrade or replace about 7,500 to 8,000 kilometers more.
But analysts say although accidents have declined over time, India’s outdated rail system still has a long way to go.
From 2017 to 2021, an average of 20,000 people died each year in rail accidents caused by collisions, derailments and other causes, according to official records.
A report by India’s highest auditing authority, the General Audit and Supervisory Board of India, said 69% of accidents were caused by derailment.
Defective tracks, poor maintenance, outdated signal kits and human error were the main culprits.
The fourth largest railway network in the world, Indian Railways operates approximately 14,000 trains daily with 8,000 locomotives on a vast 64,000 km long track.
Trains carry more than 21 million passengers daily.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/india-train-crash-accident-electronic-signal-system-investigations-3539571 What we know about India’s worst rail tragedy in decades