Safety in Buses, Trains and Metros: What NCRB Data Shows and How to Travel Safely

In 2024, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recorded 22,413 deaths on railway tracks and in railway premises, and another 1,888 at railway crossings. This count covers everyone who died on the tracks, not only passengers.

(Source: NCRB, Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2024.)

Crores of Indians get on a bus, a local train, a metro or a shared auto every day and trust that they will reach home. Most days they do. But overloaded buses, poorly maintained vehicles, blocked emergency exits and people crossing tracks or hanging from doors still cost thousands of lives every year. Some of that is the system’s job to fix. Some of it is in our own hands.

Rail and road deaths (NCRB, 2023 and 2024)

Category (deaths)	2023	2024
Railway accidents and incidents on tracks and railway premises	21,803*	22,413
Railway crossing accidents	2,242	1,888
Falls from vehicles (bus, truck and so on)	5,246	5,848
Road accidents (all vehicles)	1,73,826	1,75,142

(Source: NCRB, Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2023 and 2024, Table 1.7. *NCRB notes that Odisha’s 2023 railway data was pending clarification. MoRTH’s road crash count differs slightly from NCRB’s.)

Two more points from the data:

• Fires in passenger vehicles (bus, taxi, auto and so on) caused 27 deaths in 2024. Fires in trains caused 1.
• NCRB does not publish separate death counts for buses or metro systems.

Look at the falls from vehicles: 5,848 deaths in 2024. Many of these are people falling from crowded buses and footboards. Not every death needs a crash.

Case study 1: train collision near Balasore, Odisha (2023)

• What happened: three trains crashed near Balasore, Odisha, on 2 June 2023. The Railway Minister told the Rajya Sabha that 295 passengers were killed and 176 grievously injured.
• Cause: lapses in signalling circuit alteration work sent a wrong signal. One train entered a loop line and hit a stationary goods train.
• Lesson: one shortcut in maintenance work on a safety system can kill hundreds. Signalling changes must be tested and signed off properly every time.
• What followed: calls for better checking of signalling work and faster upgrades to electronic interlocking and train protection systems.

Case study 2: bus fire near Nashik (2022)

• What happened: a private sleeper bus caught fire after colliding with a truck on a highway near Nashik in the early hours of 8 October 2022. Officials were investigating what started the fire.
• Deaths: at least 12 people died, and 43 were taken to hospital with serious burns.
• Lesson: in a night bus, people are asleep and the aisle is narrow. Every bus needs a working emergency exit, glass-breaking hammers and an extinguisher, and passengers need to know where they are before the lights go out.

Everyday dangers

• Overcrowding: people get crushed, fall from doors and footboards, and cannot get out quickly in a fire.
• Missing safety equipment: emergency exits that are bolted shut or blocked with luggage, hammers that have gone missing, empty extinguishers.
• Seatbelts: use one wherever it is fitted, including in buses and cabs.
• Poor maintenance: worn brakes and faulty wiring cause crashes and fires.
• Staff without training: drivers and conductors may not know first aid or how to evacuate a bus quickly.
• Crossing the tracks: walking across railway lines instead of using the foot overbridge, often with earphones in.

Safety habits for passengers

• When you board a bus, especially a sleeper bus at night, find the emergency exit and the hammer.
• Keep bags off the aisle. In a fire, the aisle is everyone’s way out.
• Never board or get off a moving bus or train, and do not travel on the footboard.
• In a train, note where the alarm chain and the extinguisher are. Pull the chain only in a real emergency.
• Use the foot overbridge. Never cross the tracks, and never stand close to the platform edge.
• In fire or smoke, stay low, cover your nose and mouth with a cloth, and move to the nearest exit. In a train, move to the next coach away from the fire.
• Keep your phone charged and carry a small torch for night journeys.
• Call 112 in any emergency. For railway help, the Rail Madad helpline is 139.

What the system needs to fix

• Fire detection and suppression in buses, especially sleeper buses, and in trains.
• Driver fatigue alerts and proper rest rules for long-distance bus drivers.
• Regular, recorded maintenance checks for every fleet operator, government and private.
• First-aid kits and training for drivers, conductors and station staff.
• Regular emergency drills in metro and railway systems.
• Fire-retardant interiors and better brakes in older buses and coaches.
• Public safety records for state transport corporations, so passengers can see how they perform.

Speak up

If the emergency exit is blocked, the hammer is missing or the driver is speeding and talking on the phone, say something. Tell the conductor, complain to the transport department or call 112 if it is dangerous. One passenger speaking up can save a busload of people.

References

• NCRB, Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2024, Chapter 1 and Tables 1.7, 1.8 and 1.12 (ncrb.gov.in)
• NCRB, Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2023, Table 1.7
• Ministry of Railways reply in the Rajya Sabha on the Balasore accident, 21 July 2023