Mumbai Local Train Deaths: Mumbra Tragedy Multi-Departmental Probe Report Under Review, Safety Measures Underway; Central Railway Tells Bombay HC

Mumbai: Central Railway (CR) has informed the Bombay High Court that the report prepared by a multi-disciplinary team investigating the Mumbra rail tragedy is currently under internal review. The tragic incident, which occurred on June 9, 2025, claimed several lives after passengers fell from two moving trains near a curve at Mumbra station.

The disclosure was made in an affidavit filed by CR on July 12 in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by commuter activist Yatin Jadhav.

Last month, a bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne had expressed grave concern over the “alarming and disturbing situation” on Mumbai’s suburban railway network, where nearly 10 people reportedly die every day. The court directed both Central and Western Railways to submit a detailed, time-bound safety roadmap.

According to the affidavit, the six-member investigation team comprises senior divisional heads from key departments, each with expertise in rail safety and operations. The panel has been tasked with conducting a detailed probe into the incident to identify systemic lapses, if any.

While the affidavit does not specify the exact cause of the June 9 tragedy, a senior CR officer confirmed that the committee’s findings are being reviewed internally before any further action or public disclosure.

In the meantime, CR has outlined several interim safety measures. To prevent passengers from falling out of moving trains, it has introduced features such as knurling on grab poles to reduce slipperiness, installed additional grab handles in Siemens rakes, and undertaken track slewing at Mukund and Thane stations. Signal structures at three key locations are also being relocated.

To ease peak-hour crowding, CR has requested around 800 establishments to implement staggered office timings.

Additionally, to deter track-crossing, CR has intensified enforcement against trespassers, installed fencing between platforms, relocated catering stalls to less congested areas, and plugged 145 of 205 identified trespass openings on suburban lines. The remaining will be addressed within a year.

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The PIL highlights the need for urgent infrastructure upgrades in Mumbai’s local train network—ranked the world’s second busiest after Tokyo—including platform screen doors, wider train footholds, and comprehensive fencing to reduce fatalities. The court has scheduled the next hearing in the matter for next week.