Indian Railways is continuously upgrading its safety infrastructure to ensure a secure and seamless travel experience for millions of passengers across the country. Addressing various safety protocols, the national transporter has successfully eliminated all unmanned level crossings across its Broad Gauge network by January 2019 and is now focused on removing manned crossings through strategic infrastructure projects. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced plans to completely eliminate all level-crossing gates to mitigate human error, starting with a pilot initiative in Rajasthan. Additionally, the ministry has enhanced existing gate safety through interlocking systems, CCTV installations, and revised Train Vehicle Unit thresholds, while making rapid progress in deploying the indigenous Kavach Automatic Train Protection system. Indian Railways is actively transforming its network safety through systematic infrastructure development, advanced anti-collision technologies, and rigorous gate management protocols.
Indian Railways successfully completed the elimination of all unmanned level crossings across its Broad Gauge network by
January 2019. The national transporter has since shifted its focus toward the comprehensive removal of manned level crossings through the construction of Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs). Between 2014 and 2024, the government constructed
1,195 ROBs and RUBs, significantly outpacing the 415 units built in the preceding decade. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated on
September 12, 2025, that the ministry intends to eventually eliminate all level-crossing gates to mitigate human error and accident risks, with a pilot initiative planned for
Rajasthan. Current safety infrastructure at existing gates includes interlocking systems, which had been installed at
10,395 level crossings as of June 30, 2026. Furthermore, the Ministry of Railways implemented safety protocols in
July 2025, including the installation of CCTVs with recording capabilities at all gates and the lowering of the Train Vehicle Unit (TVU) threshold to expedite conversion processes.
A primary pillar of ongoing safety enhancements is the deployment of the Kavach Automatic Train Protection system. As of
September 2, 2026, Indian Railways achieved its largest single-day commissioning of the system, covering
472.3 route kilometers across the Vadodara–Virar, Tughlakabad–Palwal, and Manpur–Sarmatanr sections. With approximately
₹3,874 crore invested in Kavach through June 2026, the latest Version 4.0 has been deployed over
2,569 route kilometers. This massive technological rollout has contributed to a marked improvement in safety metrics, which saw only
two consequential train accidents recorded during the first quarter of the 2026-27 financial year.
