Mumbai local trains to get automatic doors after four fall to death

At least four people died and several others were injured when 13 passengers barely hanging from the doors of an overcrowded moving local train fell on the tracks in Thane district of Maharashtra on Monday morning, prompting the Railways to move towards automatic doors on Mumbai’s lifeline.

 

The incident took place around 9:30 am between Mumbra and Diva stations of the suburban network.

 

While official estimates by the Central Railway said four people had died, reports said the casualties had risen to five.

 

One of the suspected reasons for the accident, according to Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Swapnil Nila, is passengers hanging by the footboards of two trains coming in opposite directions brushing against one another.

 

 

Nila based his account on a passenger’s statement. 

 

“Of the 13 injured, four died and four were being treated. The Railway Board has decided to retrofit all existing rakes, which will result in reducing the possibility of these occurrences. All the new rakes will be AC rakes with automatic door closure systems. We have requested all passengers to avoid travelling on the footboard,” he reportedly said.

 

The ministry on Monday had a discussion on this. 

 

“In the wake of the sad incident today (Monday) in Mumbai, the Railway Minister and Railway Board officials had a detailed meeting with the Integral Coach Factory team. The purpose was to find a practical solution to the issue of automatic door closing in local non AC trains in Mumbai. The major issue with automatic door closing in non AC trains is suffocation because of reduced ventilation,” the ministry communicated to reporters in an unsigned note.

 

After a discussion, the ministry decided new non-AC trains would be designed and manufactured and the key issue of ventilation would be resolved using three design changes. First, the doors will have louvers. Second, coaches will have roof-mounted ventilation units to pump in fresh air. And third, the coaches will have vestibules so that passengers can move from one coach to another and balance out the crowd in a natural way.

 

“The first train of this new design will be ready by November 2025. After necessary tests and certification, it will be put into service by January 2026. This is in addition to the 238 AC trains being manufactured for Mumbai suburban services,” the ministry’s note said.

 

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said compensation would be given to the kin of the deceased by the railways and the state government.

 

The accident sparked criticism from the public and politicians.

 

“There have been many terrible train accidents in the past two-three years but no one is claiming responsibility for them. This is solely the responsibility of the railway department and the railway minister... People of India have demanded his resignation multiple times but he carries on,” Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray told reporters in Mumbai.

 

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), in 2022 there were 17,053 instances of people falling from trains or colliding with trains on tracks. This constitutes almost 74 per cent of all railway accidents. 

 

“Maharashtra has reported the majority of such cases, accounting for 27.4 per cent (4,677 out of 17,053 cases) of total cases of fall from train or collision of trains with people at track,” the NCRB’s report on accidental deaths and suicides in India said.