In Frames: Between life and livelihood for Mumbai’s train commuters

Thirteen commuters fell off a local train and five died near Mumbra in Mumbai on June 9 morning when the bags of some of them on one train brushed against those on another passing by on the adjacent tracks. The horrific accident once again highlighted the increasingly dangerous conditions faced daily by Mumbai’s local train passengers. 

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With stations such as Diva and Nalasopara witnessing the worst of the surge in crowds, commuters — squeezed for space in the compartments — are forced to hang on precariously from the footboard.

During peak hours, boarding a train is a battle — people spill over platforms, walk on the tracks to reach the other end quickly, and squeeze into already jam-packed compartments. The situation grows more chaotic at junctions where halts are brief and entry points limited, leaving little room for a safe and orderly boarding process.

While authorities have proposed closed-door AC local trains as a solution, commuters argue that these trains often lack the capacity to handle the volume of daily commuters. With space constraints and fewer coaches than on regular trains, AC trains may end up offering only a partial and privileged solution to a larger public crisis.

The situation is steadily deteriorating. Despite being the city’s lifeline, Mumbai’s suburban railway system is overstretched and under immense pressure. Unless comprehensive, people-centric solutions are implemented soon, such incidents may become disturbingly frequent — a grim reminder of the price commuters pay for simply trying to reach work.

Following the June 9 accident, the Bombay High Court raised concern over deaths of commuters on the Mumbai suburban railway. It instructed Central Railway to put recommendations on record along with a timeline for implementing these recommendations.

Referring to the summary of the affidavit filed by Central Railway, the court said: “It is disturbing that over 3,588 people died in 2024 on local trains, which means on average, 10 Mumbaikars are dying every day. This is alarming, despite you informing us that fatalities have decreased by 46% since 2009.”