No passenger deaths in 2019-2020: Indian Railways' safest year ever

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Indian Railways finally has declared the financial year 2019-2020 as the safest year it has seen for the past 166 years of its existence. For the first time ever, no passenger deaths were reported by the Indian Railways.

According to official data, the number of consequential accidents such a collision, or a wagon catching fire, or derailment, have decreased drastically by at least 95% over the last four decades.

Here is a list of the number of accidents that were officially declared in the past years:

1960-61: 2,131 train accidents.

1970-71: 840 train accidents.

1980-81: 1,013 train accidents.

1990-91: 532 train accidents

2010-11: 141 train accidents.

2013-2018: Average 110 accidents every year

Ecstatic with the positive report, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal congratulated the Indian Railways and wrote on social media: “Safety First: First time in 166 years, Indian Railways had zero passenger deaths in the current financial year.”

Only last month the Railway Ministry had claimed that they have toiled immensely to upgrade safety standards, relying heavily on modern technology.

That apart, inspection drives are carried out on a regular basis not just to monitor the staff but educate them about the importance of following safe practices.

The Ministry said this to the Delhi High Court on December 6, after it had sought a status report from the Centre to ensure the highest standards of safety and security are being provided at all railway stations.