A devastating accident on a local train in Thane district, Maharashtra, claimed the lives of at least four passengers and injured several others on Monday morning, June 9, 2025, near Mumbra railway station. The incident, attributed to severe overcrowding, has reignited concerns about commuter safety on Mumbai’s suburban railway network, one of the busiest in the world.
How did it happen?
The accident occurred around 9:30 AM on a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT)-bound local train traveling between Diva and Mumbra stations, a notoriously congested stretch of the Central Railway’s suburban line.
According to railway officials, the train was packed beyond capacity during peak morning hours, with many passengers standing on the footboards. As the CSMT-bound train crossed paths with another local train heading in the opposite direction toward Kasara, passengers hanging onto the footboards of both trains collided, causing several to lose their grip and fall onto the tracks.
The Thane District Administration reported that approximately 13 passengers fell from the train. Four fatalities were confirmed, including a 34-year-old Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable, Vicky Babasaheb Mukhyadal, who was on duty at the time. Of the injured, two were reported to be in critical condition and were rushed to Jupiter Hospital, while seven others, with less severe injuries, were admitted to Kalwa Hospital for treatment. The victims, aged between 30 and 35, were primarily daily commuters traveling to Mumbai for work.
Railway and police teams arrived at the scene in about 15 minutes to assist the victims. Disturbing visuals of injured passengers lying along the tracks circulated on social media, amplifying public shock and outrage. The Central Railway has launched an investigation to determine the precise cause of the incident, with preliminary findings pointing toovercrowding as the primary factor.
Official and public response
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the incident as ‘extremely unfortunate’ in a post on X, expressing condolences to the families of the deceased and assuring that the railway administration is probing the matter. ‘The railway administration will soon take concrete steps to make suburban train services safer,’ he added, emphasizing the need to address overcrowding and enhance passenger safety.
Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske called for a thorough investigation, questioning whether the passengers fell due to overcrowding, a physical altercation, or other factors. Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve also weighed in, calling the incident heartbreaking and urging systemic reforms to prevent such tragedies.
Public sentiment on X reflected frustration and anger, with users criticizing the government for neglecting basic railway safety while promoting ambitious projects like bullet trains.
In response to the incident, Central Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Swapnil Nila, announced that all new train rakes under manufacturing for Mumbai’s suburban network will be equipped with automatic door-closing mechanisms to prevent similar accidents. ‘We are redesigning rakes to prioritize passenger safety,’ Nila stated, acknowledging the urgency of addressing overcrowding-related risks.
A recurring issue on the Thane-Diva stretch
The Thane-Diva section has long been a hotspot for train-related accidents, with railway police reporting 24 such deaths in 2024 alone.
Overcrowding, a chronic issue on Mumbai’s suburban trains, forces commuters to hang onto footboards, making them vulnerable to falls, especially during peak hours. Despite the introduction of additional suburban services, activists argue that the measures have been insufficient to address the scale of the problem.
The tragedy underscores the broader challenges facing Mumbai’s suburban railway system, which ferries over 7 million passengers daily.