Mumbai Local Train Tragedy: 21-Year-Old Dies After Falling From Overcrowded Coach; Fourth Case This Month On Dombivli–Thane Stretch

In yet another tragic reminder of the growing dangers faced by daily commuters on Mumbai’s suburban railway network, a 21-year-old youth from Mumbra died after falling from a moving local train between Mumbra and Kalwa stations on Friday morning. However, this incident did not occur at the same location as the June 9 tragedy. It took place at kilometer marker 38 more than a kilometer away from the spot where the earlier mishap occurred. The deceased, identified as Mohammad Ayaan Jabbar Ali Shaikh, was a resident of Madina Tower, Kausa, Mumbra (East).

According to officials from the Government Railway Police (GRP), the accident occurred around 11:00 a.m. on June 27, near the new railway bridge between Mumbra and Kalwa. Shaikh had boarded the local train from Mumbra station and was en route to his workplace in Mumbai. He was reportedly standing on the footboard due to overcrowding when he lost his grip and fell onto the tracks.

Thane GRP Senior Inspector Archan Dusane stated, “Our team rushed to the spot after receiving information. He was taken to Civil Hospital in Thane, where doctors declared him dead before arrival.” GRP officers recovered his mobile phone and identification documents, and his family was immediately informed. A post-mortem was conducted the same day, and his body was handed over to his family on June 28.

Another GRP official clarified that the incident took place between Mumbra and Kalwa stations on June 27, dismissing some media reports that claimed the fall occurred between Mumbra and Diva.

"The body was found at kilometre marker 38, nearly two kilometres away from the site of the June 9 Mumbra rail accident, which had occurred near kilometre 40." The official also addressed confusion regarding the timing of the incident, confirming that Shaikh fell at approximately 11:00 a.m., not at 8:30 a.m. as previously speculated.

This marks the fourth case this month of a commuter falling from a train on the hazardous Dombivli–Kalwa section. On June 25 at 8:30 p.m., Tukaram Vitthala Bhange (52) fell from a running train near Mumbra station.

Later that same night, at 11:03 p.m., Sachin Gorakhnath fell from a moving local between Kopar and Diva. On June 19, a man was found dead beside the railway tracks in the same corridor.

These incidents have once again raised alarms over the severe overcrowding on local trains, particularly between Kalyan and Thane — one of the busiest and most accident-prone stretches in Mumbai’s suburban network.

In 2024, according to data from the Government Railway Police, 107 passengers died and 203 were injured within the Dombivli and Thane GRP jurisdiction, which covers one of the most crowded stretches of the Central Railway’s mainline suburban section.

A GRP official explained the primary cause behind these accidents: “Most of the fast local trains coming from Karjat and Kasara are already overcrowded by the time they reach Kalyan. Boarding these trains is nearly impossible — many passengers are forced to hang from the footboard.”

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He added that rapid population growth in areas like Diva and Mumbra has not been matched by a proportional increase in train services. “Although some fast trains have been given halts at Diva, it hasn’t helped much because the trains are already jam-packed by the time they reach Dombivli. There’s not even space to hang on, let alone board,” the official said.

He stressed the urgent need for additional shuttle services between Thane and Karjat/Kasara and suggested that starting originating trains from Diva to CSMT could ease the crowding to some extent.

Commuters are also demanding that railway authorities treat the Dombivli–Thane stretch as a high-risk zone and take swift measures to improve infrastructure and train frequency, especially during peak hours

“There is an urgent need to start additional train services between Thane and Karjat/Kasara with immediate effect. Otherwise, the public will continue to be forced to travel while hanging from trains, and incidents of passengers falling will keep happening,” said Padmakar Salvi, a frequent commuter from Diva, to FPJ on Sunday.