Mumbai: A packed local train on Mumbai’s Central Railway led to the deaths of five passengers and injuries to others as they fell between Diva and Kopar stations, showing that the city’s commuter network is still very unsafe.
Around 9:30 a.m. Monday morning, when the Pushpak Express was travelling to Kasara, it hit a local train heading toward CSMT. Many passengers had to hold onto the train’s doors due to overcrowding, and because of this, at least 10 to 12 of them fell onto the tracks. After noticing an injured passenger, the guard on a train to Kasara informed officials, which led to services in the area being temporarily halted.
Emergency services hurriedly sent the victims to the city’s civic hospital. Police say that five passengers, who were between 30 and 35, died right after being brought to the hospital, and another six were treated for critical cuts and head wounds. Swapnil Nila, the top public relations official for the railway, confirmed the tragedy and attributed its cause to excessive crowding.
A member of the Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh said that the Diva-Kalwa track is very dangerous, as it led to 68 deaths from such accidents in 2024. Our group has repeatedly informed the government, but no effective answer has appeared,” said Mr Desai. No matter the conditions, people experience a tough journey each workday. Kalyan attracts people who board there only to travel, which is unsafe and time-consuming. Kirit Somaiya, a leader of the BJP, requested swifter metro growth and a fleet of 15-coach trains to alleviate the problem.
People’s anger could be seen on social media. “ No accountability. With just a sentence, journalist Rana Ayyub revealed how this issue made many people feel. Consequently, the Central Railway is going to fit the new suburban trains with automatic door-close functions to ensure tragedies do not happen again.
Events like this point to severe crowding in Mumbai, and stations including Mumbra and Kalwa are particularly notable for this issue. Now, people are asking for quick improvements to the network and more trains to keep commuters safe on the most used part of the city’s transportation.
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