90% reduction in train accidents in almost 20 years: Railway Minister

New Delhi: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said train accidents have come down from 698 in 2005-06 to 73 today, showing a remarkable 90 per cent reduction with a laser sharp focus on safety.

Replying to a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the working of the Railway Ministry, Vaishnaw said during Lalu Prasad Yadav's tenure as the Railway Minister in 2005-06, 698 cases, including 234 accidents, took place on an average of 2 per day.

There were 395 cases with 165 accidents, an average of 1 per day, during Mamata Banerjee's tenure, he added.

Vaishnaw said during Mallikarjun Kharge's tenure as the Railway Minister, the total cases stood at 381, including 118 accidents, on an average of more than one per day.

"When Modi ji came to power in 2014, he placed a laser-sharp focus on safety. Regular reviews are conducted on safety, with an emphasis on root cause analysis, and he has encouraged the adoption of new technology and equipment in maintenance processes," Vaishnaw said.

"Where there was once an average of one accident per day, today the number has been reduced to just 30 accidents per year. Even if we include 43 derailments, the total stands at 73. This means that the number, which was previously around 700, has now dropped to less than 80, a remarkable 90% reduction," he added.

The minister said the government's goal is to reduce it even further by analyzing the root cause of every incident.

"If there are mistakes, equipment faults or design issues, they are being corrected to ensure that the same errors are not repeated. This is the approach with which we are working," Vaishnaw said.

"We have worked with complete sincerity, utmost integrity and deep knowledge, bringing in our own innovations. There has been no lack of effort and the results are evident. Going forward, the results will be even better," he added.