Indian Railways operates India's railway system and comes under the purview of the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India. , it maintains over of tracks and operates over 13,000 trains daily.
Statistics As per the Ministry of Railways, there have been more than 38,500 railway accidents from 1961 to 2019. In 2019–20, the Indian Railways reported zero passenger deaths due to accidents for the first time in its history. At least 313 people died in 40 train crashes in 2023–24 and 748 people have died in 638 train crashes in the previous ten years.
+Accidents of Indian RailwaysSpanAccidentsTrain kms (million)Accidents per million kmsCollisionsDerailments Level crossing FireOthersTotal1961–197083410,6641,3941,037013,9294,3393.211971–19805886,7631,12018508,6654,8101.801981–19904756,24267717607,5705,5981.351991–20003403,5836327704,6426,5590.702001–20101351,68080393522,7638,3330.332011–20194356735254161,02310,1340.10
Deadliest rail accidents
+ Deadliest rail accidents in IndiaDate Train(s) Location Fatalities Cause 20 August 1995 Kalindi Express Purushottam Express Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh 358 Track obstruction by a nilgai, followed by a rear-end collision. 2 June 2023 Coromandel Express Howrah-SMVT Bengaluru Express A freight train Near Bahanaga Bazar, Balasore, Odisha 296Collision and derailment due to signalling error 2 August 1999 Avadh Assam Express Brahmaputra Mail Gaisal, West Bengal 285 Collision due to signalling error 6 June 1981 Mansi-Saharsa Passenger Over Bagmati River near Mansi, Bihar 235 Derailment over a bridge, possibly due to a tropical cyclone 26 November 1998 Frontier Mail Jammu Tawi-Sealdah Express Khanna, Punjab 212 Derailment and collision due to damaged rail23 December 1964 Pamban-Dhanushkodi Passenger Dhanushkodi, Tamil Nadu 200+ Storm surge due to a tropical cyclone 20 November 2016 Indore–Patna Express Near Pukhrayan, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 150 Derailment due to fractured rail28 May 2010 Jnaneswari Express A Goods train Near Jhargram, West Bengal 148+ Possible sabotage by Naxalites 10 September 2002 Howrah Rajdhani Express Over Dhave river near Rafiganj, Bihar 130+ Sabotage by Naxalites
This is an incomplete chronological list of railway crashes and incidents in India.
Before 1950
28 February 1863 – An accident on the East Indian Railway resulted in a bridge collapsing somewhere on the line between Ahmoodpur and Rampur. Train stuff jumped off the train and so no one died during the crash. 26 January 1869 – Bhor Ghat rail accident: At least 15 people were killed and 35 were injured after the Bombay-Pune Mail train substained a brake failure on incline track at the Bhor Ghat Pass, Maharashtra and crashed through a dead-end of the Bhor Ghat Reversing Station track down the railway embankment. before 26 September 1897 – Maddur railway bridge collapse: Collapse of railway bridge, damaged by a flood, near Maddur caused a derailment of five fully loaded carriages and drowning of about 150 passengers. 12 September 1902 – About 100 passengers were killed when the Bombay-Madras Mail derailed on a bridge near Mangapatnam in Kadapa district of Madras Presidency. 2 December 1908 – Two passenger trains collided near Barara in Punjab Province, killing 22 and injuring 24. 27 April 1920 – At least 120 people were killed and 50 were injured after the Doon Express collided with a freight train near Moradabad in United Provinces. 7 October 1920 – At least 40 people were killed when the Madras-Bangalore mail train derailed near Arakkonam in Madras Presidency. 17 July 1937 – At least 119 people were killed and more than 180 were injured after the Upper India Express plunged down an embankment near Bihta. 28 June 1939 – At least 10 people were killed and 21 injured in a train crash near Bombay. 4 October 1942 – At least 12 people were killed and 40 were injured when the Frontier Mail derailed near Bombay.
1950s 12 April 1950 – At least 50 people were killed and 73 were injured when the Kumaon Express derailed and crashed into a river. 7 May 1950 – At least 100 people were killed when a passenger train plunged off a bridge in Bihar.100 killed in train wreck , Daytona Beach Morning Journal (8 May 1950) 3 September 1951 – At least 10 people were killed and 30 were injured when the Saharanpur Express derailed about from Delhi.Ten killed in train accident near Delhi , The Indian Express (4 September 1951) 4 January 1954 – A passenger train derailed while crossing a bridge near Bhatinda in Punjab, killing at least 15 people and injuring 40.15 persons killed in India train wreck , Eugene Register-Guard (4 January 1954) 31 March 1954 – Explosives being transported on a passenger train detonated near Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, killing 31 and injuring 32.31 are killed in train blast , Gettysburg Times (1 April 1954) 15 September 1954 – A train crashed into a truck carrying students at an unstaffed level crossing north of New Delhi, killing 10 and injuring 18.New Delhi train hits truck, 10 are killed , Youngstown Vindicator (16 September 1954) 27 September 1954 – At least 136 people were killed in a derailment at a girder bridge near Jangaon in Hyderabad State. 28 September 1954 – At least 139 were killed and more than 100 were injured when a passenger train crashed into the Yasanti river after a bridge collapsed, about south of Hyderabad.73 are killed in India crash , Sarasota Herald-Tribune (29 September 1954) 2 September 1956 – 1956 Mahbubnagar train accident: At least 125 were killed and 22 injured when a bridge collapsed under a train travelling between Jadcherla and Mahbubnagar in Andhra Pradesh.125 killed in Indian rail disaster , St. Petersburg Times (3 September 1956) 23 November 1956 – 1956 Ariyalur train accident: At least 104 people were killed and 100 injured when the Madras-Tuticorin Express plunged into a river from an embankment weakened by flooding, about south of Madras. 2 June 1957 – A passenger train crashed into a stationary train in Bombay, killing 18 and injuring 53.18 killed in Bombay train crash , The Age (3 June 1957) 23 July 1957 – A passenger train collided with the Hazaribagh-Howrah Express near Tatanagar in Bihar. 19 August 1957 – Four persons were killed and nine were injured when the Janata Express derailed between Palasa and Pundi stations in Andhra Pradesh. 21 August 1957 – Five persons were killed when a wagon loaded with fire crackers exploded at Katpadi in Madras State. 8 November 1957 – Two trains collided near Jawapur in Uttar Pradesh. 23 November 1957 – Nine people were killed and 54 injured after four coaches of the Bombay–Calcutta Mail capsized upon derailment near Padali in Maharashtra. 20 October 1959 – A head-on collision took place between a freight and a passenger train at Badanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
1960s 8 March 1961 – A passenger train and freight train collided near Kalihar in Bihar, killing 11 and injuring 37. 20 October 1961 – The Ranchi Express derailed from Calcutta, killing 47 and injuring many others. 22 July 1962 – The Punjab Mail crashed into a freight train at Dumraon in Bihar, resulting in over 100 fatalities. 22 July 1963 – More than 100 passengers were killed when Udyan Abha Toofan Express derailed at Etmadpur near Tundla in Uttar Pradesh. 23 December 1964 – The Pamban-Dhanuskodi passenger train was washed away during the Rameswaram cyclone, killing over 126 passengers on board. 19 June 1965 – A freight train collided with a train carrying railway workers about from Bombay, killing 15.15 workers killed in train collision , Ocala Star-Banner (20 June 1965) 16 February 1966 – At least 27 people were killed when an express train was bombed by Naga separatists in Assam. 20 April 1966 – A train was bombed by Naga separatists at the Lumding railway station in Assam, killing 55 and wounding 127.55 killed, 127 hurt in India train blast, The Miami News (21 April 1966) 23 April 1966 – A train was bombed by Naga separatists at the Diphu railway station in Assam, killing 40 and wounding 60.Train blast death toll climbs to 40 , The Spokesman-Review (25 April 1966) 13 June 1966 – Two passenger trains collided near Matunga in Bombay, killing at least 57 people and injuring 100.57 people are killed in Indian train wreck , Times Now (13 June 1966) 19 March 1968 – The Deccan Express collided with the Birur–Hubli passenger train at Yalvigi in Karnataka, killing 53 and injuring 42.The Hindu (20 and 21 March 1968.) 4 February 1969 – Passengers riding on the top of a train were swept off by the girders of a bridge near Madras, killing 32 people and injuring 50.32 atop train killed in India, The Milwaukee Journal (4 February 1969) 21 June 1969 – Six passenger cars of an express train derailed and fell into the Magari River, killing 70 and injuring 130 in Muhammadabad in Uttar Pradesh. 14 July 1969 – A freight train crashed into a stationary passenger train near Jaipur in Rajasthan, killing 85 and injuring 130.85 killed in India rail collision , The New York Times (16 July 1969)
1970s 26 April 1972 – A passenger train derailed in Mysore state, killing 21 and injuring 37.Train derails, 21 killed, The Milwaukee Sentinel (27 April 1972) 21 February 1974 – A passenger train crashed into a freight train at Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, killing 41 and injuring 63.41 killed in train crash , The Glasgow Herald (22 February 1974) 30 May 1977 – At least 45 people were killed and 100 were injured when a bridge across the Beki river near Guwahati collapsed under the Tezpur Express.45 killed in India in train derailment, Ottawa Citizen (31 May 1977) 23 November 1977 – At least 20 were killed and 21 were injured when a passenger train derailed near Rewari in Haryana.20 killed in train crash , Reading Eagle (24 November 1977) 18 April 1978 – At least 30 people were killed and 60 were injured when an express train crashed into the rear of a passenger train at Bassain Road railway station in Bombay.30 killed in train collision , Eugene Register-Guard (19 April 1978) 14 November 1979 – Five people were killed and more than 50 were injured when two passenger trains collided near Matunga in Bombay.5 Killed in Bombay Train Crash , The New York Times (15 November 1979) 23 December 1979 – An express train crashed into the rear of a standing passenger train near Sarupeta in Assam, killing 18 and injuring 25.Trains crash; 18 killed , Observer-Reporter (24 December 1979)
1980s 12 February 1981 – At least 19 people were killed and more than 50 were injured when a freight train, the Trivandrum Mail, and the Yercaud Express collided near Vaniyambadi in Tamil Nadu. 6 June 1981 – Bihar train derailment: At least 235 people were killed and several were injured when a passenger train fell into the Bagmati River after derailing while crossing a bridge. 16 July 1981 – At least 50 people were killed and 49 were injured when a freight train collided on to the back of the Narmada Express between Khdori and Bhanwar Tonk stations in Madhya Pradesh. 19 July 1981 – At least 30 people were killed and 70 were injured after a passenger train from New Delhi to Ahmedabad derailed in Gujarat due to track sabotage. 28 January 1982 – At least 61 people were killed and 23 were injured when the Dakshin Express collided with a freight train in heavy fog near Agra Cantonment in Uttar Pradesh. 20 March 1982 – At least 59 people were killed and 25 were injured after an express train from Mangalore Central to New Delhi collided with a tourist bus at an unstaffed level crossing in Andhra Pradesh. 10 February 1984 – At least 43 people were killed and more than 58 were injured after a shuttle train collided onto the rear of the Punjab Mail in Bahadurgarh in Haryana.