Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw: Railways spending Rs 1.14 lakh crore per year on safety

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said that the government is prioritizing railway safety, allocating more than Rs 1 lakh crore annually for the enhancement of various systems.

During the debate on the Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 in the Rajya Sabha, the minister highlighted that as a result of several measures, the yearly railway accident rate has dropped from 171 incidents to 30.

He said various several initiatives are underway to upgrade technology and emphasized that the Modi government has made more progress in improving railway infrastructure in 11 years than what was achieved in 60 years under Congress rule.

The Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 was passed in the Rajya Sabha through a voice vote. The bill had already been approved by the Lok Sabha in December of the previous year.

Vaishnaw noted that measures have been implemented to upgrade tracks, safety devices, and level crossings.

He pointed out that the government has completely addressed safety concerns at 9,000 unmanned level crossings by either deploying personnel or building underpasses or flyovers.

The minister also mentioned that the field offices, led by General Managers and Divisional Railway Managers, are now significantly more empowered.