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Indian Express
09-06-2025
- Indian Express
Activist had flagged flaw in Mumbra stn curvature 4 months ago: ‘In accordance with standard practices', Railways had responded
On Monday morning, four people lost their lives and seven others were injured after passengers fell off two moving local trains near Mumbra railway station in Thane. According to officials, the incident occurred when Kasara-bound train, which started from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, experienced a sudden jerk while navigating a sharp curve between Diva and Mumbra stations, causing commuters standing at the doors of the two trains to collide and fall off. Notably, exactly four months ago, activist Ananda Maruti Patil from Diva had warned Central Railways about the potential for such a tragedy, urging immediate action. His concerns, however, went unaddressed—culminating in the very disaster he had tried to prevent. On February 20 , Patil, a 50-year-old resident of Diva, wrote to the Railway Minister and the General Manager of Central Railways, raising serious concerns about passenger safety on the Kalwa–Mumbra–Diva stretch. Patil said he was compelled to take this step following repeated accidents and mounting complaints from fellow commuters about the dangers along this corridor. 'Beyond Kalwa station, particularly around the Parsik tunnel, and on both the Up and Down lines near Mumbra station, as well as along the curved stretches leading to Diva, train coaches tend to tilt while in motion,' Patil wrote in the letter. 'During peak hours, due to extreme overcrowding, train compartments are heavily packed. As a result, when trains tilt, passengers standing near the doors lose balance due to the pressure of the crowd and are thrown out of the train. Several commuters have suffered serious injuries, and tragically, some have lost their lives. These incidents are happening repeatedly, creating a serious threat to passenger safety. I urge you to take immediate and appropriate action in this regard and inform me in writing about the steps taken,' Patil had said in his letter. A month later, Patil received a response from the Railways acknowledging the presence of curves along the stretch, stating that the track design, including the curvature, was in accordance with standard practices outlined in the Railway Manual. 'The major track portion between Kalwa–Mumbra–Diva is on a curvature. As per standard practice given in the Railway Manual, CANT (the raising of the outer rail on a curve) is provided in curve to facilitate the safe and smooth riding on the curve. While providing CANT, normally the outer rail is kept higher than the inner rail. Hence, the train leans towards the inner track while travelling over the curve. The technical survey has also been done for the same,' the Railways said in its reply dated March 18. Patil said the Railways failed to act after his formal complaint. 'The root cause of repeated accidents on the Mumbra–Kalwa–Diva route is the uncontrolled overcrowding and the tilting of coaches on curved sections of the track. I had officially raised this issue with the Ministry of Railways. While the authorities acknowledged the technical aspects, no concrete safety measures have been implemented. This continued endangerment of passengers' lives must stop. Mumbai-bound trains should begin from Diva station to reduce the load,' said Patil. Interestingly, the Railways has addressed similar safety concerns in the past. In March 2024, after multiple incidents of passengers falling from trains between Sion and Kurla stations, the Railways undertook 'track slewing'—a process involving the lateral shifting of tracks to increase the distance between them. This is done to reduce the risk of passengers standing at doorways colliding when trains pass each other at close proximity. The intervention was prompted by reports from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) highlighting repeated accidents in that section. Patil said a similar timely intervention on the Mumbra–Diva stretch could have saved the four lives lost in Monday's tragedy. 'It's heartbreaking to see how people from far-off places travel to Mumbai in such inhuman conditions. The congestion on platforms and inside trains reduces commuters to mere cattle. This dehumanisation of working-class passengers must end,' said the activist.
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Business Standard
09-06-2025
- Business Standard
Mumbai locals to have automatic doors, says railways as four die after fall
Mumbai locals to have automatic doors, says railways as four die after fall The Railway Board has decided that all new suburban trains in Mumbai will be equipped with automatic doors, while existing rakes will also be retrofitted with the system, a senior railway official confirmed on Monday. The announcement follows a fatal incident near Mumbra railway station in Maharashtra's Thane district during peak hours, where four people lost their lives and nine others were injured after falling from two overcrowded local trains. Collision on curve during peak travel hours According to police, the two local trains were crossing each other on a sharp curve when the accident occurred. Many commuters were hanging from the doors, and their backpacks reportedly brushed against each other, leading to a collision that caused several passengers to fall onto the tracks. The guard on the Kasara-bound train alerted officials to the incident. Emergency services rushed the victims to nearby hospitals, where four were declared dead on arrival. Victims and eyewitness accounts The deceased have been identified as Ketan Saroj, Rahul Gupta, Mayur Shah, and Vicky Mukhyad, a constable with the Thane Government Railway Police. Swapnil Dhanraj Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, confirmed that all the victims had been standing on the footboards of packed compartments. One injured commuter recounted that the passengers fell after those on the footboards of both trains collided during the curve. Around 7.5 million commuters rely on Mumbai's local trains daily. Political response and public outcry Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis confirmed that an investigation is underway. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that support is being extended to the families of the victims, while Deputy CM Ajit Pawar highlighted the urgent need to address chronic overcrowding and safety issues in the city's suburban rail network. Responding to public outrage, Shinde stated, 'A high-powered Railways committee will investigate the matter. The truth will come out, and if anyone is found guilty, strict action will be taken.' Opposition leaders criticise government Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed condolences to the victims' families and used the occasion to criticise the Centre. In a post on X, he wrote, 'While the Modi Government is celebrating 11 years of service, the reality of the country is reflected in the tragic news from Mumbai… Indian Railways is the backbone of the lives of crores of people, but today it has become a symbol of insecurity, congestion and chaos.' He added, '11 years of Modi government = no accountability, no change, only propaganda.' Sharad Pawar, chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), also called for safety upgrades. 'The Central Railway should increase local trains on important routes. Necessary measures should be implemented immediately for the safety of passengers. It is well known that the increased crowding in local trains is the main reason. After such accidents, it is not right to blame the passengers for their deaths,' he said. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi offered a sharp rebuke to railway authorities. 'The Railways should just shut up about what they are planning to do because none of them have been delivered as far as Mumbai local trains are concerned. These are not deaths by overcrowding but murders executed by an apathetic Reel Minister and the government of Maharashtra,' she posted on X.
Muscat Daily
09-06-2025
- Muscat Daily
Probe on as 5 killed after passengers fall off moving train in India
Mumbai, India – At least five people died and seven others sustained injuries after several passengers fell off a moving train near Mumbra railway station in Thane on Monday morning, according to a spokesperson for the Central Railway. A probe has been launched to determine what caused the incident. The passengers reportedly fell around 9am while the Kasara-bound train, which started from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), was passing through the Diva-Mumbra area. People hanging off this train's footboard collided with the passengers who were similarly clinging on to another train that was passing in the opposite direction towards CSMT, causing the accident, sources said The accident, which occurred on the Down/Fast Line, disrupted local train services. According to Central Railways, the reason for the accident is believed to be excessive crowd on the train. Passengers travelling on the footboard on a local train from Kasara and similarly those on a train going towards CSMT, collided with each other and fell. 'Some passengers travelling towards CSMT fell from the train at Thane's Mumbra railway station. The reason for the accident is believed to be excessive crowd in the train. The railway administration and police have reached the spot. The injured are being taken immediately to the nearest hospital. Investigation into the accident has begun. Local services have also been affected by the incident,' Central Railways said in an official statement. 'There has been an incident where eight people travelling on local trains from Mumbra to Diva fell down. The guard of a Kasara-bound local train reported this incident. These people have been rushed to the hospital for their treatment,' said Swapnil Dhanraj Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Central Railway. He further added: 'This incident happened between Mumbra-Diva railway stations on the Down/Fast Line. People travelling on the footboard on a local train from Kasara and similarly those on a train going towards CSMT, collided with each other and fell.' 'It is not a collision. In this incident, the passengers travelling on footboards in trains in opposite directions got entangled. This is one of the suspected reasons for the incident, as informed by a passenger. The distance between two trains is 1.5-2 metres, but on curves, a slight tilt happens, and this could be an additional reason for the incident,' he further said. Soon after the incident, the Railway Board has taken two important decisions which is all rakes under manufacturing for Mumbai Suburban will have automatic door closer facilities and all rakes in service will be redesigned and door closure facility will be provided in these rakes of Mumbai Suburban. The injured have being taken immediately to the nearest hospital. Local services have also been affected after the incident. Railway officials and local police reached the site and began a preliminary investigation. Agencies
The Print
09-06-2025
- The Print
Mumbra train tragedy: Call for automated doors, more trains after at least 4 dead due to overcrowding
Speaking to the media, Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Swapnil Nila said that the guard of the Kasara-bound train reported at 9.30 am that some injured passengers were lying along the tracks near the control room at CSMT. He, however, did not know from which train the passengers had fallen. The Central Railway officials said that prima facie, the passengers on the footboard of the down train towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) collided with those standing on the footboard of a Kasara-bound train headed in the opposite direction on the parallel track. Mumbai: At least four passengers died, whereas over a dozen suffered injuries after falling off a crowded moving train near Mumbra station in Thane district Monday morning. Visiting the site later, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde said that at least five people died in the incident even as the police said four people died. At least a dozen persons injured in the incident are now under treatment at different hospitals in Mumbra and Thane. 'It is not a collision of trains. People travelling on the footboard of a local train towards Kasara and those similarly travelling on a train going towards CSMT collided with each other and fell,' he said. 'The distance between the two trains was 1.5-2 metres, but at curves, a slight tilt happens, which could have been another reason for the incident.' According to railway officials, the train was overcrowded, and hence, people stood on footboards. A police team and railway officials immediately rushed to the spot, and an investigation is currently underway. How to prevent such accidents The railways, soon after the incident, decided to provide automated doors for all new and existing Mumbai suburban train rakes shortly, Swapnil Nila told the media. Currently, the Mumbai suburban trains have open doors. Many passengers during peak hours stand on the footboard. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said to the media, 'The incident in which a total of eight passengers fell from a local train between the Diva and Mumbra stations, resulting in some fatalities, is extremely unfortunate. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the deceased.' He added: 'The local administration is coordinating efforts on the ground. I pray to god for the swift recovery of the injured. The railway department has initiated an investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident.' Speaking to the media, MP Shrikant Shinde acknowledged that many people now lived in Kalyan on the Dombivali side. With that, he said, 'The availability of trains needs to go up and should be done quickly.' There have been sharp political reactions to the incident. Congress state president Harshwardhan Sapkal, in a statement to the media, said, 'These deaths are not by accident. These people became victims at the hands of the government. For the past 11 years, the people of Maharashtra and Mumbai have been listening to empty promises about improved infrastructure and smoother commutes for Mumbaikars.' 'In the name of development and facilities, it has become a game of awarding tenders and collecting commissions. The ruling officials and contractors have grown richer through this nexus, while ordinary citizens are paying for this corruption with their lives.' Shiv Sena UBT and NCP(SP) have expressed anguish over the incident, too. Sharad Pawar, in an X post, said that the growing population of Mumbai needed appropriate facilities. 'On an average 6-7 people die every day after falling off from local trains. It is not right to blame the passengers for this incident. Central Railway should plan well and take timely action against this. The trains on important routes should be increased. Fitting automated doors on trains should be done timely,' wrote Sharad Pawar. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: Railway engineers held for 'bribery'. CBI finds Rs 63 lakh cash, jewellery worth Rs 3.5 cr in raids
Time of India
09-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Thane train mishap: What CM said and how Railways plan to fix it
The Railway Ministry on Monday announced that all local trains in Mumbai, both new and existing, will soon be equipped with automatic door closing systems. The decision comes after a tragic incident in Thane district, where several passengers died and others were injured after falling from an overcrowded local train. What happened? The accident took place between Mumbra and Diva stations on the Down/Fast Line. According to railway officials, passengers hanging on the footboards of two passing trains may have collided as their backpacks brushed against each other. Eight people reportedly fell from the train, with the guard of a Kasara-bound local reporting the incident. Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway Swapnil Dhanraj Nila clarified, "It was not a train collision. People travelling on footboards got entangled as two trains passed each other. The gap between trains is usually 1.5 to 2 metres, but on curves, tilting can reduce this space." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Undo Railways respond with safety upgrade Executive Director of Information and Publicity at the Railway Board Dilip Kumar confirmed that the Ministry has taken immediate steps. 'All local train rakes currently under manufacturing for Mumbai Suburban will have automatic door closers. Existing rakes in service will also be redesigned to include this feature,' he said. Officials stressed that passenger safety is a top priority and that steps are being taken to prevent such incidents in the future. Live Events Officials react Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that help is being provided to the injured. Injured passengers were rushed to nearby hospitals, and both railway and police officials arrived quickly at the scene to begin a probe. Central Railways, in an official statement, said, 'The reason for the accident is believed to be overcrowding. An investigation is on, and support is being provided to those affected.' Inputs from agencies
