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 2019âÂÂ20, 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 2023âÂÂ24 and 748 people have died in 638 train crashes in the previous ten years.
Deadliest rail accidents
This is an incomplete chronological list of railway crashes and incidents in India.
Before 1950
- 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.
- 3 September 1951 – At least 10 people were killed and 30 were injured when the Saharanpur Express derailed about from Delhi.
- 4 January 1954 – A passenger train derailed while crossing a bridge near Bhatinda in Punjab, killing at least 15 people and injuring 40.
- 31 March 1954 – Explosives being transported on a passenger train detonated near Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, killing 31 and injuring 32.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 23 April 1966 – A train was bombed by Naga separatists at the Diphu railway station in Assam, killing 40 and wounding 60.
- 13 June 1966 – Two passenger trains collided near Matunga in Bombay, killing at least 57 people and injuring 100.
- 19 March 1968 – The Deccan Express collided with the BirurâÂÂHubli passenger train at Yalvigi in Karnataka, killing 53 and injuring 42.
- 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.
- 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.
1970s
- 26 April 1972 – A passenger train derailed in Mysore state, killing 21 and injuring 37.
- 21 February 1974 – A passenger train crashed into a freight train at Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, killing 41 and injuring 63.
- 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.
- 23 November 1977 – At least 20 were killed and 21 were injured when a passenger train derailed near Rewari in Haryana.
- 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.
- 14 November 1979 – Five people were killed and more than 50 were injured when two passenger trains collided near Matunga in Bombay.
- 23 December 1979 – An express train crashed into the rear of a standing passenger train near Sarupeta in Assam, killing 18 and injuring 25.
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.
- 15 September 1984 – At least 112 people were killed and several others injured when four bogies of the Jabalpur–Gondia passenger train fell into a river after a portion of a bridge had been washed away due to heavy flash floods near Charegaon in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh.
- 22 November 1984 – At least 25 people were killed and more than 100 injured when a Mumbai local train derailed near Byculla railway station.
- 23 February 1985 – Fifty people were killed when two coaches of an express train caught fire near Rajnandgaon in Madhya Pradesh.
- 13 June 1985 – At least 38 people were killed in a collision between an express and a freight train near Agra in Uttar Pradesh.
- 22 November 1985 – One person was killed and more than 300 were injured after the Tinsukia Mail collided with a freight train near Dhupguri in West Bengal.
- 10 March 1986 – At least 50 people were killed and 200 were injured as two passenger trains collided near Khagaria in Bihar.
- 6 August 1986 – At least 52 people were killed and 35 were injured as two coaches of an express train fell into a stream after colliding with a stationary freight train in Palamau district of Bihar.
- 8 July 1987 – At least 53 people were killed when the Dakshin Express derailed near Mancherial in Andhra Pradesh.
- 15 March 1987 – At least 25 people were killed after a bomb caused several coaches of the Rockfort Express to derail and plunge into a dry riverbed near Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu.
- 18 April 1988 – At least 75 people were killed when the Karnataka Express derailed near Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh.
- 8 July 1988 – Peruman railway accident: At least 105 people were killed and more than 200 were injured when the Island Express derailed on the Peruman bridge and fell into Ashtamudi Lake in Kerala.
- 1 November 1989 – At least 48 people were killed when the Udyan Abha Toofan Express derailed in Sakaldiha in Uttar Pradesh.
- 16 April 1990 – At least 70 people were burnt alive as a shuttle train caught fire near Patna in Bihar.
- 6 June 1990 – Thirty-six people were killed in a collision between two trains at Gollagudem in Andhra Pradesh.
- 25 June 1990 – At least 60 people were killed when a freight train collided with a passenger train near Daltonganj in Bihar.
- 10 October 1990 – Forty people were killed in a fire in a passenger train near Cherlapally in Andhra Pradesh.
1990s
2000s
2010s
2010
2011
2012
- 11 January – Five people were killed and nine were injured after the Brahmaputra Mail collided with a stationary freight train in Jharkhand.
- 26 February – Three people were killed after the KozhikodeâÂÂThiruvananthapuram Jan Shatabdi Express struck them after they veered off into the track while watching fireworks.
- 20 March – At least 15 people were killed after a train collided with a taxi minivan at an unstaffed railway crossing in northern Uttar Pradesh.
- 26 March – Two people were killed after a MEMU commuter train collided with a boulder-carrying truck at a level crossing on the outskirts of Bangalore.
- 22 May – At least 25 people were killed and more than 43 were injured after the Hampi Express collided with a freight train near Penukonda in Andhra Pradesh.
- 31 May – Five people were killed and 15 were injured after the Doon Express derailed near Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh.
- 19 July – Three people were killed and 31 were injured after the Vidarbha Express collided with a local train near Khardi railway station in Mumbai.
- 30 July – At least 47 people were killed and more than 25 were injured after the Tamil Nadu Express caught fire near Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.
- 30 Nov – One person was killed and several were injured after two coaches of the Grand Trunk Express caught fire near Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
- 26 December – At least 71 people were injured after a collision between two passenger trains near Dibrugarh in Assam.
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020s
2020
2021
2022
2023
- 2 January – Ten people were injured after 11 coaches of the Suryanagri Express derailed near Marwar Junction railway station at 3:27 IST
- 16 February – WAG-12B 60038, based at Saharanpur, was involved in an accident with WDG-4 70159. It hit the goods train head on in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, and both remained on the tracks.
- 3 April – Three people including a two-year-old girl were killed and eight passengers suffered burns after a man set fellow passengers on fire on board an express train in Elathur, Kozhikode, Kerala.
- 15 May – A coach of the Chennai-Bangalore Double Decker Express derailed near Bisanattam, Kolar district in Karnataka at around 11:30 IST. However, no injuries or casualties were reported.
- 2 June – 2023 Odisha train collision: More than 1,200 people were injured and 296 died in India's deadliest train crash involving three trains near Bahanaga Bazar station in Odisha's Balasore district. At around 19:30 IST, 21 coaches of the Coromandel Express derailed after a collision with a stationery freight train loaded with iron ore and smashed into the rear of the 12864 SMVT BengaluruâÂÂHowrah SF Express traveling on the adjacent track.
- 8 June – The last coach of the four-coach Nilgiri Mountain Railway derailed near Coonoor railway station in Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu at around 15:00 IST with no major injuries.
- 9 June – A coach of the Chennai CentralâÂÂVijayawada Jan Shatabdi Express derailed near Chennai Central when traveling back to the parking shed at 14:30 IST.
- 11 June – The last coach of a Chennai suburban local EMU derailed near Basin Bridge railway station in Chennai with no casualties reported.
- 22 June – A coach of the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus - Chennai Central Weekly Express caught fire near Vyasarpadi railway station in Chennai due to a friction in the overhead power lines and no injuries were reported.
- 25 June – Two freight trains collided near Ondagram railway station in West Bengal's Bankura district at around 4:00 IST.
- 7 July – Three coaches of the Falaknuma Express caught fire between Bommaipally and Pagidipalli in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district of Telangana and no casualties were reported.
- 23 August – At least 36 migrant workers from West Bengal were killed after the collapse of an under construction railway bridge over Kurung river on the Bairabi-Sairang line near Sairang in Mizoram.
- 26 August – Nine people were killed and 20 were injured after a fire erupted from an illegally smuggled cylinder in a special coach of the tourist Bharat Gaurav train stationed near Madurai in Tamil Nadu.
- 23 September – A fire broke out in the Sri GanganagarâÂÂTiruchirappalli Humsafar Express while crossing Valsad railway station in Gujarat and no injuries were reported.
- 26 September – A EMU train derailed and climbed on to a platform at Mathura railway station in Uttar Pradesh.
- 11 October – Four people were killed and more than 70 were injured after six coaches of the North East Express derailed near Raghunathpur Railway Station in Buxar district of Bihar at around 21:50 IST.
- 29 October – At least 14 passengers were killed and 50 were injured when two passenger trains collided at around 21:02 IST near Kottavalasa railway station in Andhra Pradesh's Vizianagaram district.
- 31 October – The Suhaildev Superfast Express derailed near Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh and no casualties were reported.
- 15 November – Eight passengers were injured after a fire broke out in the Delhi-Darbhanga Superfast Express near Etawah in Uttar Pradesh.
- 13 December – Three people were killed and 34 were injured after portions of a 133-year old overhead water-filled tank collapsed on to the platform in West Bengal's Barddhaman railway station.
2024
- 28 February – At least two people were crushed to death and many more were injured after being hit by a train near Kalajhariya, Jamtara district, Jharkhand.
- 2 June – Early in the morning, MSN 60059, a Saharanpur-based WAG-12B was involved in an accident. A goods train overshot a signal on the DFC corridor near Sirhind Junction, Punjab, and hit another stationary goods train. Two loco pilots were injured in the incident.
- 12 June – A 16-year-old boy was run over by a train on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway near Kurseong in West BengalâÂÂs Darjeeling district.
- 15 June – A 62-year-old man from Kerala died as an improperly chained berth with its occupant passenger fell on him while he was lying on the lower berth of a sleeper coach of the Millennium Express.
- 17 June – 2024 West Bengal train collision: About 11 people were killed and at least 60 were injured after a freight train hit the rear of the Kanchanjungha Express near Rangapani railway station in Darjeeling district, West Bengal due to over-speeding and faulty signal.
- 18 July – Nearly 12 coaches of the DibrugarhâÂÂChandigarh Express derailed near Jhilahi in Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh, resulting in at least four dead and 32 injured.
- 30 July – Two people were killed and at least 20 were injured after 18 coaches of the HowrahâÂÂMumbai CSMT Mail derailed near Jamshedpur in Jharkhand.
- 17 August – Nearly 22 coaches of the Sabarmati Express derailed near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh after the train hit a boulder.
- 11 October – 2024 Tamil Nadu train collision: At least 19 people were injured after 13 coaches of the Bagmati Express derailed and caught fire after the train rammed the rear of a goods train stationed on a loop line at the Kavaraipettai railway station near Chennai in Tamil Nadu.
- 17 October- Around 15:55 IST, eight coaches (including the engine and power car) of AgartalaâÂÂMumbai LTT AC Express derailed at Dibalong (Diblong) station, Dima Hasao in Assam's Lumding division, on the LumdingâÂÂBadarpur Hills section. So, there were no deaths or major injuries reported.
- 25 October – The locomotive of Vivek Express got detached from the coaches while on the move near Katpadi Junction railway station in Tamil Nadu as the coupler broke.
- 26 October – A 69-year-old man was killed after he was struck by a loose brake shoe from a passenger train running from Rameswaram to Madurai in Tamil Nadu while he was walking near the railway track.
- 27 October – Mhow - Ratlam Fast Passenger, a DEMU caught fire between Runija and Naugaon stations in Madhya Pradesh.
- 28 October – Four passengers were injured when illegal fire crackers carried by the passengers ignited on a passenger train from Jind to Delhi near Sampla in Haryana.
- 2 November – Four sanitation workers from Tamil Nadu including two women were killed after the Kerala Express run over them while they were engaged in a cleaning work on a bridge over the Bharatapuzha River near Shoranur in Kerala.
- 9 November – A 35-year old railway worker was crushed to death after being trapped in the buffers between the locomotive and the power car, while decoupling the locomotive of Lucknow-Barauni Express at Barauni Junction, as the loco pilot accidentally reversed the locomotive instead of moving it forward for shunting.
- 13 November – A freight train derailed in Peddapalli district of Telangana, resulting in the cancellation of 39 trains and diversion of 61 trains.
2025
- 22 January â 2025 Jalgaon train accident: About 12 people including seven from Nepal were killed and 15 were injured when some of the passengers of Pushpak Express disembarked onto an adjacent railway line following a false fire alarm and were hit by the incoming Karnataka Express.
- 15 February â At least 20 people were killed and several injured in a stampede at New Delhi railway station when confusing announcements resulted in a rush to board a train for Prayagraj to attend 2025 Prayag Maha Kumbh Mela.
- 30 March â At least 11 coaches of the Bangalore-Kamakhya AC Superfast Express derailed near Nergundi station in Cuttack district, 1 dead and 8 injured as reported.
- 9 June - Five people were killed and nine were injured after several people riding on the outside of two passing Mumbai local trains collided with each other and fell off after experiencing a sudden jerk on a sharp curve near the Mumbra railway station.
- 21 June - One railway worker was killed and four passengers were injured when 15910 Dibrugarh-bound Avadh Assam Express collided with a maintenance trolley near Semapur Train Station in Bihar.
- 8 July - Three students were killed and four others including the van driver were injured as 56813 Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai passenger train hit a school van at a non-interlocked manned level crossing between Capper Quarry and Alapakkam railway stations at around 7:45 AM in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. The students and the van belonged to Krishnaswamy Vidyanikethan, a private CBSE school situated in Cuddalore.
- 4 November - A MEMU passenger train collided with a stationary goods train in Chhattisgarh, resulting in 11 deaths and 20 injuries.
- 20 December - The SairangâÂÂAnand Vihar Terminal Rajdhani Express derailed in Assam's Hojai district after hitting a herd of elephants, resulting in the death of 7 elephants. This is second worst train accident with Indian elephant since 2013 Chapramari Forest train accident
- 29 December - A passenger died in a fire that engulfed two AC coaches of Train no. 18189 TatanagarâÂÂErnakulam Express at Yelamanchili railway station, under the Vijayawada division of South Central Railway, in the early hours of Monday. The other passengers had a miraculous escape. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
2026
⢠22 January - The Gonda-Asansol Express collided with a truck parked at a level crossing between Kumrabad Rohini and Shankarpur stations in Deoghar. While the collision caused significant chaos and damage to the locomotive, a major disaster was narrowly avoided with no immediate passenger fatalities reported.
See also
References
External links