Analysis of Causes of Rail Derailment in India and Corrective Measures

Railways provide the cheapest and most convenient mode of passenger transport both for long distance and suburban traffic; also, it plays a significant role in the development and growth of industries. Even though there are several advantages and safety in railway transport, the frequency of train accidents is still increasing. A train derailment can result in severe injuries or even death to passengers, railroad employees and bystanders. In 2007, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) reported nearly 2000 derailments on tracks all over the country. Whereas approximately 373 train derailments were reported by Indian Railways from 2009 to 2015. In the same duration of 6 years, there were total 803 accidents in Indian Railways killing 620 people and injuring 1855 people. 47% of these accidents were due to derailment of trains. Therefore, the statistical analyses were conducted to examine the effects of accident causes in India for last ten years. The analysis showed that broken rails or welds were the leading cause of derailments. Because of the seriousness of railway accidents, the study also aims to suggest the possibilities of minimizing devastating consequences of vehicle derailments by appropriate measure.