Railway Track Modernisation And Safety Gains

Track Renewal and Stronger Infrastructure

• Track Renewal: Since 2014, around 55,000 km of track has been renewed, improving safety and ride quality.
• Long Rail Panels: Around 44,000 track km of 260-metre rail panels have been laid, reducing joints and enabling smoother movement.
• Stronger Rails: More than 80,000 track km of 60-kg rails are in use, supporting heavier loads and higher speeds.

Technology-Based Inspection and Preventive Safety

• Ultrasonic Flaw Detection: USFD testing has covered around 36.2 lakh track km and 2.25 crore welds to detect hidden rail cracks.
• Failure Reduction: Rail and weld failures have declined by about 90 per cent, showing a shift from reactive repair to preventive maintenance.
• Advanced Monitoring: Phased-array testing, magnetic-particle inspection and GPS-enabled Oscillation Monitoring Systems help detect weld defects and track roughness.
• Track Management System: A web-enabled system integrates testing, ride quality and track geometry data for timely maintenance decisions.

Mechanised Maintenance

• Machine Fleet Expansion: Track machines increased from 748 in 2014 to 1,785 in 2026.
• Core Functions: Machines perform tamping, ballast cleaning and rail grinding faster and more uniformly than manual maintenance.
• Ballast Screening: Deep screening of ballast across more than 1 lakh track km improves drainage, vibration absorption and track stability.
• Rail Grinding: Grinding over more than 1 lakh km reduces surface defects and improves ride quality.

Speed and Safety Outcomes

• Higher Speed Capability: Track supporting 130 kmph and above increased from 6 per cent to nearly 23 per cent.
• 110 kmph Network: Track fit for 110 kmph and above increased from about 40 per cent to 80 per cent.
• Accident Reduction: Consequential train accidents fell from 135 in 2014–15 to 16 in 2025–26.
• Accident Rate: Accident rate per million train kilometres improved from 0.11 to 0.01.