Mumbai local train deaths drop 7% to 2,287 in 2025
What's the story
In 2025, Mumbai's local train system saw a 7% decrease in fatalities, with 2,287 deaths reported compared to 2,468 in 2024. The Government Railway Police (GRP) also recorded a slight decline in injuries from 2,697 to 2,554. However, this still translates to an average of six lives lost every day on the city's railway network.
Accident analysis
Track crossing and overcrowding major causes of fatalities
The Thane section recorded the most deaths at 278, followed by Kalyan with 266 and Borivali with 244. Activists attribute these deaths to rapid urban growth outpacing public transport improvements, according to a report by The Indian Express. The main causes of death were track crossing (1,063 fatalities) and overcrowding-related incidents (525 deaths), where commuters fell from moving trains after losing balance.
Safety measures
Experts propose solutions to enhance railway safety
Experts have suggested automatic doors on non-AC coaches as a possible solution to reduce fatalities. However, the report quoted Dr Sarosh Mehta, an orthopedic surgeon and railway safety activist, stressing that structural changes are also needed. "Automatic doors can help reduce commuter deaths," Dr Mehta said, "but only if they are implemented with structural changes that account for severe overcrowding in non-AC coaches."
Official response
Railway officials highlight ongoing safety initiatives
Railway officials have pointed to several safety measures already taken. These include fencing 47 platforms, sealing 204 trespass-prone access points, and removing 1,260 encroachments. Longer-term infrastructure projects such as the Panvel-Karjat and Airoli-Kalwa corridor upgrades are also in the pipeline. However, a senior Central Railway official expressed limited confidence in automatic doors due to past challenges with trials.