Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu is meeting General Managers of all 17 Zones today to take up issues of safety and punctuality on a priority basis. Railway ministry in a statement said, safety is accorded the highest priority by Indian Railways and the remedial measures to prevent accidents include timely replacement of over-aged assets, adoption of suitable technologies for upgrading and maintenance of track, rolling stock and signaling and interlocking systems.<br/><br/>According to a study by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) a total of about 28, 500 cases of railway accidents were reported in 2014 rendering 3,500 people injured and causing the death of 25,00 people .<br/><br/>According to a white paper submitted by Suresh Prabhu in February this year, major rail accidents occur in the following forms: level crossing accidents, derailments, fire, and collisions. <br/><br/>A High-Level Safety Review Committee under the Chairmanship of Anil Kakodkar was set up in September 2011 and the report was submitted in February 2012.<br/><br/>The Committee has estimated that for implementation of all its recommendations, primarily pertaining to rail safety, will require an expenditure of Rs. 1,03,110 crore over a period of 5 years, approximately Rs. 20, 000 crore per annum.<br/><br/>