The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Railways to submit a detailed affidavit outlining specific measures and timelines for enhancing safety at railway tracks and level crossings. The Bench, comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and K. Vinod Chandran, noted that the report placed before the Court lacked concrete scheduling.
The matter arose in miscellaneous applications related to passenger safety. Although the Railways identified several areas that required attention, the Additional Solicitor General clarified that they were not formal priorities but reflected zones where system-safety decisions had been taken.
The Court stressed that the immediate emphasis must be on track and level crossing safety, adding that other improvements would follow. It found that while broad proposals had been discussed, definite timelines were missing. The Bench therefore asked the ASG to file a fuller affidavit addressing issues listed under Items 3 and 7 of the Railways’ report.
The Amicus Curiae flagged another concern: accident insurance coverage is available to passengers booking tickets online but not to those purchasing offline. The Court required the Railways to explain the rationale for this difference and directed the ASG to obtain instructions.
For the remaining items in the Railways’ plan, the Court allowed ongoing measures to continue. However, the Railways must file the revised affidavit on the two safety issues and the insurance disparity before the next date of hearing.
The applications will be taken up on 13 January 2026.
Case: Union of India v. Radha Yadav, MA No. 741-742/2019 in C.A. Nos. 1265-1266/2019
With MA 743-744/2019
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