3 min readNew DelhiAug 6, 2026 04:40 PM IST
The Railway Board has directed zonal railways to review all pending accident inquiries and take necessary action to ensure their completion within the stipulated timelines. A recent safety review of accident cases found that departmental inquiries in several instances had not been completed within the prescribed time frame.
According to the existing directions issued in December 2019, departmental inquiries into consequential train accidents are required to be completed within 30 days of the date of the accident. The inquiry determines the responsibility of the concerned officials and identifies the root cause of the accident or instances of human failure through its consolidated “Detailed Accident Study & Analysis Report”. The report also recommends technical and procedural measures to prevent such system and human failures in the future.
The Board said the likely reasons for the delay were “not nominating the inquiry committee within one day” and “officers conducting inquiry proceedings getting diverted due to routine office work”.
“In order to facilitate the timely completion of inquiries without compromising the quality of investigation, it is advised that immediately after an accident, a suitable location in the vicinity of the accident site may be identified for the exclusive use of the inquiry committee,” the Board said in a letter dated August 3 to the General Managers of zonal railways.
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The Board said that designating an exclusive site for conducting the inquiry will enable all stakeholders to work in coordination, maintain focus, examine available evidence promptly, and finalise the inquiry report through continuous sittings, wherever practicable.
“It may also be ensured that the current status and all relevant details of all the accident inquiries are reviewed and updated on a weekly basis,” it said.
The Railway Board issued the directions for department accident inquiries for the first time on February 2, 2006 after identifying that there is no uniformity in timely completion of investigation in the accident manual of the zonal railways. The board prescribed a stepwise time limit from the date of the accident to submission of report to the action against responsible officials.
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These directions were further revised on December 31, 2019, with the inclusion of a provision requiring departmental inquiries to determine the root cause of accidents. The action taken report on the recommendations of the inquiry committee is required to be submitted to the Railway Board within three months from the date of the acceptance of the final inquiry report.
Train accidents have declined sharply over the years, with consequential accidents falling from 135 in 2014-15 to 16 in 2025-26, according to the Railways. In 2026-27 so far, two such accidents have been reported till June.
