Railway Safety vs. High-Speed Projects: A Critical Debate
The Indian Railways face a critical choice between investing in safety and pursuing high-speed rail projects. Recent accidents and delays highlight the urgency of this decision.
Railway SafetyHighspeed RailMumbaiahmedabadSuburban TrainsFatalitiesReal Estate MumbaiJun 28, 2025
In an unrelated development, three giant-sized tunnel boring machines (TBMs), on order to drill an underground route for a 21-kilometre stretch of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor, have been held up at a Chinese port. The ground-breaking ceremony for the project was performed way back in September 2017 by Prime Minister Modi and then Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. However, issues mainly related to land acquisition have slowed the project.
Now, the TBMs have added to the delay. Built in Guangzhou, China, by German tunnelling specialist Herrenknecht, they were to reach India by October 2024, but clearance from the Chinese authorities has not come. Meanwhile, the project cost has almost doubled to Rs 1.08 lakh crore, and the completion of the new rail corridor has been pushed back to 2029.
The massive Mumbai suburban train accident, and the lack of funds for improving safety, on the one hand, while huge funds are allocated to what P Chidambaram called ‘vanity projects’ like the Bullet Train, is triggering serious debate.
It is indeed a scandal that Mumbai’s rail network has become a death trap. Suburban rail accident figures show 51,802 people died in accidents over two decades from 2005 to 2024 – an unacceptable 7 deaths every day.
In recent years, the situation seems to have gotten worse. Responding to a PIL filed soon after the 9 June accident, the Bombay High Court commented: “What disturbs us is that in 2024, 3,588 deaths took place on CR and WR, which averages to 10 deaths per day. So every day, 10 Mumbaikars die while traveling on the train. And these numbers of deaths are due to falling down from a train, hit by a pole or gap between the footboards and the platform.”
“This is an alarming situation. This is your data. Though you (railways) have projected that there is a reduction of deaths by 46 per cent compared to 2009, it is still not sufficient,” Justice Marne remarked orally.
The 450-kilometer suburban network, also called ‘Mumbai’s lifeline,’ is the busiest in the world; and perhaps the most dangerous. Expensive real estate has forced common folk to live in far-off suburbs and make a life-threatening commute every day packed like sardines, or hanging on footboards of these high-speed locals.
Globally, commuter trains always have automatic closing doors. The issue has been debated since 2002 by the railways, but the first AC automated door closing rakes were introduced in Mumbai only in 2017. Nearly a decade has passed since, and today the suburban network has just 283 AC services of the daily 2,342 local sorties, a little over 10 percent. Ironically, the Railways toyed with the idea of introducing automated doors on non-airconditioned rakes, but the proposal was shot down as it might have made the trains even more suffocating.
The national safety record is not better. We have still not lived down the 3 June 2023 massive accident at Balasore, Odisha, probably the worst in 2 decades. The three-way collision between the Coromandel Express, the Yesvantpur-Howrah Superfast, and a freight train killed at least 275 people with hundreds injured.
What is emerging from these accidents is though the government has ramped up its railway budget, it has not gone to improving safety as much as toward ramping up the number of special high-speed trains like the Vande Bharat that offer good optics. Meanwhile, the renewal of tracks and rolling stock of thousands of trains has stagnated. Passenger and freight trains run on the same tracks, and the lines are clogged and over-utilized, making them unavailable for even routine maintenance.
In the last few years, nearly Rs 3 lakh crore has been pumped into launching new super-fast trains and refurbishing railway stations. However, spending on safety has been at the bottom of the agenda. For instance, the indigenous anti-collision technology launched in March 2023 called the Automatic Train Protection System, or KAVACH (meaning ‘armor’), is fitted on just 795 locomotives, with a coverage of just about 4 percent so far.
It is in this context that we have to weigh the humongous allocation to Bullet Train-type projects against the crying need to lift safety standards and reduce fatalities.
Yes, the high-speed 508-km corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, servicing 12 cities on the route, and running at a maximum speed of 350 km, will be a tribute to India’s modernization. A journey that takes 8 hours today will be completed in 2 hours.
But the question often raised is: is it necessary? The Mumbai-Ahmedabad route is one of the best served in the country with 10-12 flights a day, an equal number of train services, and hundreds of buses and cabs plying on a well-maintained super highway. Why then do we need to create an entirely new corridor from scratch, involving the contentious acquisition of 1,389 hectares of fertile land? It has led to massive displacement and continuing legal disputes.
In Mumbai, commuter organizations have been crying hoarse for more local rakes, a four-track system to increase commuter trains, and a special authority for Mumbai’s suburban railway. It is estimated that if just half of the Bullet Train project budget was deployed for Mumbai’s suburban service, many millions will be served, and thousands of lives saved.
Frequently Asked Questions
What recent accident has highlighted the safety issues in Mumbai's suburban railways?
A recent accident in Mumbai where five commuters were killed when two overloaded trains came dangerously close on a turn between two suburban stations has highlighted the safety issues in the suburban railways.
What is the current status of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project?
The project has been delayed due to issues related to land acquisition and the holdup of tunnel boring machines at a Chinese port. The project cost has doubled to Rs 1.08 lakh crore, and the completion has been pushed back to 2029.
How many people have died in Mumbai's suburban rail accidents over the past two decades?
Over 51,802 people have died in Mumbai's suburban rail accidents over two decades from 2005 to 2024, averaging 7 deaths every day.
What is the Bombay High Court's response to the recent rail accidents?
The Bombay High Court has expressed concern over the high number of deaths, averaging 10 per day, and emphasized the need for urgent improvements in safety measures.
What is the estimated benefit of reallocating funds from the Bullet Train project to Mumbai's suburban service?
It is estimated that if just half of the Bullet Train project budget was deployed for Mumbai’s suburban service, it could serve many millions and save thousands of lives.
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