Mumbai train accident: Four dead, nine injured after falling off two local trains

 Tragedy on Mumbai's Lifeline: Train Accident Kills Four, Sparks Safety Outcry

(Mumbai, June 10, 2025) – A terrible accident on Mumbai's crowded local trains has left four people dead and nine injured. It happened on Monday morning near Mumbra station, shocking the city and raising urgent questions about train safety.

What Happened?

• Around 9:30 AM, two very packed local trains were passing each other on a sharp curve between Mumbra and Diva stations.

• Passengers were hanging out of the doors because the trains were so full – a common but dangerous sight.

• As the trains went around the curve, people or their bags sticking out from one train bumped into people on the other train.

• This caused several passengers to lose their grip and fall onto the tracks below. Sadly, four people died, and nine were hurt. Two of the injured are in critical condition.

Why Did This Happen? (The Bigger Problems)
This wasn't just bad luck. It points to serious, long-standing problems:

1. The "Death Track": People had warned the railways months ago that this exact curve was extremely dangerous, especially when trains are packed. They said people leaning out could easily get hit. The railways said fixing the curve was "too difficult."

2. Too Many People, Too Few Trains: Mumbai's trains carry a massive 6.8 million people every day – way more than they were built for. Trains are often filled to double their capacity during rush hour. This forces people to hang out of doors.

3. A Deadly History: Accidents like this happen far too often. Shockingly, over 45,000 people have died on Mumbai's local trains since 2009 – that's about 7-10 deaths every single day. Falling from trains is a major cause.

4. Are New Trains Making Things Worse? Railways are introducing new air-conditioned (AC) trains with automatic doors (which are safer). BUT, to do this, they are running fewer of the older, cheaper non-AC trains. This makes the remaining non-AC trains even more dangerously overcrowded, forcing more people to hang outside. As one commuter said, "People only pay attention when someone dies... they aren't adding enough trains or coaches."

What Happens Now? (Reactions & Promises)

The accident has caused a lot of anger:

• Politicians are Demanding Action: Opposition leaders are criticizing the government and railways, calling for the Railway Minister to take responsibility.

• Railways Announce Safety Steps:

  • Automatic Doors: All new trains for Mumbai will have automatic doors that close. Crucially, they also promised to add automatic doors to all the existing non-AC trains (the ones currently causing the biggest crowding problem). This is a big change.

  • Better Design for Old Trains: They plan to redesign the old non-AC trains to be less suffocating, with better airflow and ways to move between coaches. The first redesigned train might come by January 2026.

• Help for Victims: The government and railways will give money to the families of those killed and hurt.

• Grief & Questions: Families are devastated. The wife of Vicky Mukhedal, a policeman who died, is left alone with their 3-year-old child. His relative asked, "The railway's carelessness took his life... what about his family now?"

Can This Be Fixed?

The new safety plans (automatic doors, better trains) are good, but they will take time – years to update all the old trains.

Experts and passengers say more urgent steps are also needed right now:

• Make More Space: Run more train services during rush hour, even if it means delaying some long-distance trains. Speed up adding extra coaches to trains.

• Spread Out Rush Hour: Encourage offices and businesses to start at different times to avoid everyone traveling at once.

• Keep Trains Affordable: Make sure the move to safer AC trains doesn't make commuting too expensive for ordinary workers, pushing them back onto overcrowded non-AC trains.

The Bottom Line:
The Mumbra accident is a heartbreaking reminder of the risks millions face daily on Mumbai's local trains. While promises of future safety upgrades are welcome, the city needs immediate action to tackle overcrowding and fix known dangers. Mumbai's train system is its lifeline, but it shouldn't cost lives. The deaths of Ketan, Rahul, Mayur, and Vicky must lead to real change.