‘35 Lakh Commuters On 1,810 Trains Daily': Why CR Wants 800 Mumbai Offices To Change Office Timings
CR Wants 800 Mumbai Offices To Change Work Hours: The Central Railway (CR) has written to around 800 offices in Mumbai, requesting them to bring in flexibility or change the office timings to reduce crowding on trains.
More than 35 lakh passengers travel on 1,810 local trains per day on the CR. With the CR beingthe cheapest, fastest and most popular transport service, the trains remain crowded, posing a threat to the safety of passengers.
The CR feels staggering office hours, especially in the stretch between the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Thane, will divide the crowd.
What are CR's peak hours?
8 am and 10 am
5 pm to 7 pm
Which offices have received CR's letter ?
Central and state government offices, corporate offices, various corporations, banks, municipalities, colleges, etc.
Are new CR lines possible?
With Mumbai's population increasing rapidly, there has been a demand for new CR lines to improve local train services and reduce congestion. However, there is a shortage of space to lay a new line from CSMT to Kalyan.
So changing the office timings will make it possible to manage the congestion and make the journey of Mumbaikars safer and more comfortable, the letter says.
Mumbra accident
Eight passengers fell off a crowded Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus-bound (CSMT) train near Thane's Mumbra recently.
While the railway board has now decided that all rakes under manufacturing for Mumbai Suburban will have automatic door closer facilities, the incident was a bleak reminder of the railways' poor and deadly track record of 20 years – 51,802 lives lost from 2005 to July 2024.
Of the 51,802 deaths, 22,481 were reported on the Western Railway (WR) and 29,321 on the Central Railway (CR), with four stations — Kalyan, Thane, Vasai, and Borivli – topping in fatalities. The data was submitted by the WR and CR in an affidavit before the Bombay High Court, in response to a petition by a commuter from Virar, Yatin Jadhav.
Railway deaths: Falling off trains, crossing the tracks top causes
Among the major causes of deaths on Mumbai's suburban railway are:
1. Line Crossing: In 2023, Thane recorded the highest number of line-crossing deaths (179), followed by Borivli (154). In 2024, Thane again topped in the deaths (151), followed by Borivli (137).
2. Falling off trains: In 2023, Kalyan topped in deaths due to falls from trains (114), followed by Vasai (45). In 2024, Kalyan again recorded the highest deaths (116), with Vasai reporting the same as the previous year (45).
First Published:
July 08, 2025, 13:47 IST
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