At 922, railway fatalities drop marginally in 1st 5 mths of '25
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Mumbai: Fatalities on Railways in Mumbai caused due to various factors dipped marginally from 1,003 in Jan-May 2024 to 922 in Jan-May 2025, police data has shown. A majority of the deaths in the first five months of this year were caused by track crossing (461) and falls from crowded trains (210), which are both preventable factors.
Railways said they have attempted to prevent track crossing by identifying critical 'black spots', removing ramps at the end of platforms and constructing boundary walls.
According to police data, Thane section had the highest number of deaths from track crossing (75), while Kalyan section had most fatalities from falling off locals (50) so far this year. Activist Subhash Gupta of the Rail Yatri Parishad said that to prevent accidents from track crossing, foot overbridges must be constructed at locations where demand from commuters is high.
On June 9, five people were killed and eight were left injured after falling off two fast suburban trains on opposite tracks near Mumbra. An internal investigation was started by Central Railway to look into the reasons. Activists highlighted that the approval of large scale housing projects in the distant suburbs has not been accompanied by development of alternative modes of transport. As a result, the residents depend completely on the railway network.
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"Closed-door locals are essential for commuter safety but it is not possible on existing services. Air-conditioned locals have automatic doors but their fares are unaffordable for the common man. So, non-AC locals that arrive on the platform after AC locals are packed beyond capacity. Commuters are forced to travel on the footboard to avoid delays at work," said Gupta.
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Police data also showed an uptick in suicides from 38 incidents to 46 incidents in the first five months of this year. "India is in a chronic disaster state where helplessness, alienation, loneliness and disconnection are prominent symptoms. Mumbai is no exception. Dying under a train is a sign of serious distress. The administration has done little to make travel easy for Mumbaikars to unburden the stress," said psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty.
He added that there is an urgent need to screen families door-to-door.
Among overall fatalities, deaths from natural causes such as illnesses were also high with 190 such instances being reported between Jan-May this year.
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