Parliament Hears 2,282 Suburban Rail Deaths in Mumbai in 2024 as Automatic-Door AC Trains Are Deployed
Introduction of automatic-door AC local trains follows the formation of a committee to investigate a recent Mumbra station incident.
Overview
- Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told Lok Sabha that 2,282 fatalities occurred on Mumbai’s suburban rail network in 2024 due to trespassing, pole collisions, falls from running trains and platform-gap accidents.
- Mumbai accounted for 1,408 of the deaths, followed by Thane with 615, Navi Mumbai with 131 and Raigad with 128.
- A statutory committee has been constituted to probe a July accident near Mumbra station that left five commuters dead.
- AC local trains with automatic doors have been introduced to prevent passengers from boarding moving trains and reduce fall-related fatalities.
- Five significant suburban train accidents between 2020 and 2025 recorded no casualties, and the railways paid Rs 34.55 lakh in ex-gratia relief and Rs 216.87 crore in compensation to victims’ families.