Overcrowding, delays and fatal falls continue as authorities struggle for solutions; trains have been extremely crowded during peak hours, and the Kalwa-to-Dombivli stretch beyond Thane has become one of the deadliest
Over 50,000 fatalities were recorded on the suburban rail network in the past 20 years. File pic/Satej Shinde
In April 2024, a 25-year-old promising student at IIT Patna, Avadhesh Rajesh Dubey, who was also pursuing an MBA degree, fell off a crowded Mumbai local train during rush hour on Central Railway. Trains have been extremely crowded during peak hours, and the Kalwa-to-Dombivli stretch beyond Thane has become one of the deadliest. Avadhesh’s family has alleged that door-blocking, train delays, and the lack of timely medical response during the golden hour contributed to his death.
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Even as Avadhesh’s father, Rajesh Dubey, and his family continue to seek justice—urging authorities to implement stringent safety measures on Mumbai’s bustling local train network—little has changed on the ground, with the rush-hour battle continuing every single day.
Avadhesh is just one case. On Mumbai’s suburban railway, an average of seven to eight deaths occur daily due to overcrowding, accidents, and other related causes. In 2024 alone, 2468 people lost their lives on Mumbai’s suburban tracks, with over 50,000 fatalities recorded in the past 20 years.
On Western Railway, from 2005 till July 2024, 22,481 people have died, while 26,572 have been injured. On Central Railway, between 2009 and June 2024, 29,321 people have lost their lives. The top railway police jurisdictions recording the highest fatalities in the past two years include Kalyan, Thane, Vasai, and Borivli. The suburban railway system is operating at full capacity, with no room to add new trains.
In October 2023, Central Railway attempted to revive the long-debated idea of staggered office timings by formally implementing flexible working hours for its employees. It also sent letters to over 350 organisations, offices, and business chambers, appealing to them to introduce staggered work hours. “Though 150 additional suburban services have been added during peak hours over the past seven years, there is no scope for further increase. Meanwhile, the daily number of commuters continues to rise. Staggering office timings is the need of the hour to eliminate the concept of rush hour,” the letter stated.
Currently, there are 1394 suburban services on Western Railway, carrying 35 lakh passengers daily, and 1810 suburban services on Central Railway, carrying 40 lakh passengers. This brings the total to 3204 services ferrying 75 lakh passengers daily.
Factors behind casualties
Two major causes remain the leading contributors to fatalities on Mumbai’s suburban railway:
Line Crossing
. In 2023, Thane police jurisdiction recorded the highest number of line-crossing deaths (179), followed by Borivli (154).
. In 2024, Thane again reported the highest (151), followed by Borivli (137).
Falling from trains
. In 2023, Kalyan police jurisdiction saw the most deaths due to falls from trains (114), followed by Vasai (45).
. In 2024, Kalyan again recorded the highest (116), with Vasai reporting the same as the previous year (45).
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