Mumbai railway commuter deaths in 2025: numbers fall, risks persist

Mumbai railway commuter deaths fell in 2025, but the daily toll on the city’s suburban network remained stark. More than six people died each day from various causes while travelling on the Mumbai rail system.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Data with the Govt Railway Police (GRP) put total fatalities at 2,287, down 7% from 2,468 in 2024, while injuries dropped 5% from 2,697 to 2,554, as reported by The Economic Times.

Where fatalities cluster on Central Railway?

The heaviest losses were concentrated on the network’s outer sections. Thane recorded the highest number of deaths (278), followed by Kalyan (266) and Borivli (244). Activists said the year-on-year dip has not changed the overall scale, pointing to unchecked development around the city and the lack of an alternative mode of transport to reach workplaces.

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On Central Railway (CR), about 30% of all deaths were reported across the Thane, Dombivli and Kalyan sections combined. The concentration has kept attention on safety pressures in the suburbs beyond the core city area.

Track crossing and overcrowding remain leading causes

Track crossing deaths made up nearly half of all fatalities in 2025, with 1,063 cases recorded overall. The Thane section had the highest number linked to track crossing (144). Overcrowding was another major factor: commuters losing balance and landing on the tracks was associated with 525 deaths.

Falls from trains were also reported. The Kalyan section reported the highest number of commuters falling off trains (98).

Mumbra curve risks and ongoing capacity augmentation

Regular passengers have repeatedly flagged the “Mumbra curve” as especially dangerous. On June 9, five commuters were killed and a few others were injured after two coaches of trains running in opposite directions came dangerously close to each other at Mumbra, an incident also referenced in a Railway Supply article on suburban railway accident insurance for Mumbai commuters.

Passenger rights activist Lata Arghade said train frequency and capacity have not kept up with demand as more housing has emerged beyond Thane. Thane resident Mangesh Patil described peak-hour locals as so packed that boarding remains difficult even after letting a few services pass. Arghade also said suburban trains often face delays because long-distance trains get priority, and she noted that while the Railways built compound walls in some locations to prevent track crossing, people broke parts of them to gain access.

In July last year, CR told the Bombay High Court, in connection with a PIL, that it had implemented several safety initiatives. These included fencing at 47 platforms, plugging 204 trespass-prone openings, removing 1,260 encroachments and installing warning systems at high-risk spots. Over the longer term, CR plans major corridor upgrades, including the Panvel–Karjat and Airoli–Kalwa links, which are described in MRVC project documents for the Panvel–Karjat section.

On Western Railway (WR), the commute towards Virar remains challenging. A WR spokesperson told TOI that 7,700 crore worth of capacity augmentation work is currently under way to increase the capacity of suburban trains. He also said more than 479 lifts and escalators are digitally monitored through a centralised system, and that 45 lifts and 62 escalators will be installed in the next two years.

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