Trains Are Killing People—But All We Talk About Is Vande Bharat

“We Sent Him to Work, Not to Die on the Tracks”

Every morning, millions of Indians board trains with hope in their hearts to get to work, to chase dreams, to return to families. But for some, those journeys never end. A missed step, a faulty signal, or a system error becomes the difference between life and death.

In a country dreaming of bullet trains and high-speed corridors, the reality is painfully stark: everyday trains run on crumbling tracks, with outdated safety systems and overcrowded coaches. The recent Mumbra tragedy of June 2025 wasn’t just an accident it was a chilling reminder that India’s railway system is silently bleeding lives, one station at a time.

The Mumbra Tragedy – June 9, 2025

📍 Location: Between Diva and Mumbra, Central Railway Line, Mumbai

During the daily office rush, a packed Mumbai local was passing through the dangerous curved stretch near Mumbra. Another train approached from the opposite direction. With barely any clearance between them, the wind pressure pulled several passengers off the footboard a known and preventable hazard.

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• 4 people died on the spot, including:

• Vicky Mukhyadal – GRP constable

• Mayur Shah – IT professional

• Ketan Saroj – BPO executive

• 9 others were critically injured

“A bag brushed past us. In seconds, my friend was gone,” said Deepak, Ketan’s friend, his voice trembling.

“He had just finalized our new home. Now we’ll only remember him by his ashes,” wept Mayur’s father at the morgue.

Locals have repeatedly complained about this narrow curve and lack of protection, but warnings fell on deaf ears.

A Trail of Preventable Tragedies: Major Train Accidents in Recent Years

Mumbai-Specific Accidents: Thousands Die on Footboards Every Year

Mumbai’s local trains are the city’s lifeline but for many, they become a death sentence. With chronic overcrowding and outdated safety systems, thousands of passengers fall from moving trains every year, especially from footboards during peak rush hours.

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• Over the last decade, thousands have fallen from running trains on Mumbai’s Western, Central, and Harbour lines—many during peak hours, hanging from footboards as overcrowded trains with open doors jostle through sharp curves. While exact figures vary by source, the Government Railway Police confirms that hundreds die annually due to these hazards, especially in overcrowded zones like Kalyan, Thane, and Dombivli.

In just the first five months of 2024 (January–May), over 570 people fell from trains in Mumbai—most of them during office hours and from overcrowded coaches. Central Railway recorded 387 such deaths, with Kalyan (116), Thane (68), and Dombivli (39) reporting the highest numbers.

• Corridors like Mumbai Central–Kurla–Sion, Diva–Mumbra–Kalyan, and Thane–Kalyan have emerged as the most dangerous sections, consistently reporting the highest number of fatalities in the past three years.

• Multiple recent incidents highlight the gravity of the crisis:

• Three passengers fell between Kurla and Sion one died, and two were critically injured.

• In June 2024, a salesman traveling from Dombivli to Mumbra slipped from a local train and died instantly.

• In February 2025, Ankush Hindola, aged around 50, fell between the platform and the moving Vidarbha Express at Kalyan station while trying to beat the rush. Both his legs were severed in the horrific accident.

Despite countless deaths, basic safety upgrades like automatic doors or crowd control remain missing from most trains. These tragedies continue not due to chance but because of a broken, overloaded system that fails its commuters daily.

Odisha Triple Train Collision – June 2, 2023

India’s deadliest train accident in over 20 years.

• 296 dead, 1,200+ injured

• Coromandel Express was wrongly rerouted onto a loop line and rammed into a stationary goods train.

• The impact derailed coaches onto a parallel track, where the Bengaluru–Howrah Express crashed into them.

The fault? A signal interlocking system malfunction and no Kavach anti-collision system installed.

“We waited two days to identify my brother… We only got half his body back,” said a sobbing relative.

Despite CBI arrests and national outrage, systemic issues remain unresolved.

Andhra Pradesh Train Crash – October 29, 2023

On the Howrah–Chennai route, a red signal was ignored, resulting in a horrific crash.

• 14 dead, 60 injured

• A passenger train passed the red light and rammed into another stationary passenger train.

Investigators blamed human error. Once again, Kavach was not installed on the route—highlighting a recurring safety lapse.

“They said he didn’t follow orders. But where were the backup systems?” asked one of the victim’s relatives.

West Bengal Rear-End Collision – June 17, 2024

In the foothills near Siliguri, the Kanchanjungha Express stood still due to a signal failure. A speeding freight train slammed into it from behind.

• 9–15 killed, 41–60 injured

• Signal failure was reported earlier in the day, and trains were being manually cleared via TA-912 slips—a system meant only for emergency use.

• The freight train violated speed restrictions, driving at 40 km/h in a 15 km/h zone.

Among the dead were the goods train crew and the express train’s guard.

“There were screams, broken limbs, and people covered in blood. It was like a war zone,” recalled a survivor.

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Despite multiple warnings, this route too lacked Kavach, and many blame poor staff training and outsourcing.

When a Door Becomes a Death Sentence

• Mumbai’s locals run at over 250% occupancy during peak hours.

• Most coaches still have open doors, and boarding or alighting while trains are in motion is common practice.

• Narrow curves and gaps near stations like Mumbra, Kurla, and Thane become silent killers especially during crossings.

“We hold on to poles with three fingers. One wrong sway and we’re gone,” says Ramesh, a daily commuter.

The Truth Behind India’s High-Speed Dreams

Despite real risks, India’s railway priorities remain skewed:

Problem	Reality
Track Condition	Old, curved, and poorly maintained
Safety Systems	Kavach only installed on <5% of railway lines
Coach Design	Manual or open doors on most trains
High-Speed Projects	Though designed for 180 km/h, Vande Bharat trains are usually capped at 130–160 km/h due to poor track and signaling infrastructure.
Local Train Safety	Ignored in favor of big-budget showpieces

While Vande Bharat trains get ceremonial send-offs, lakhs of daily travelers fight for foot space and breath inside overcrowded coaches.

Public Rage and Political Pressure

After the Mumbra incident, politicians and citizens erupted in protest.

• Raj Thackeray demanded removal of local trains without automatic doors.

• Angry families protested at stations, chanting:

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“We want safety, not ceremony!”

“Every time I say goodbye, I fear it could be the last,” said a mother whose son travels daily from Mumbra to Kurla.

What Must Change Now

Failure	Fix Required
Dangerous curves	Redesign track layouts immediately
Outdated signaling	Upgrade and maintain systems actively
No Kavach	Accelerate full-scale national deployment
No automatic doors	Retrofit suburban trains without delay
Negligent accountability	Enforce legal action, not just compensation

Unless these issues are addressed, we’re simply waiting for the next disaster.

Speed Kills When Safety is Ignored

India wants bullet trains. But for millions, even reaching home alive on a local train is a daily miracle.

It’s not about how fast we can go, it’s about how safely we can stop.

Until we fix the basics track safety, signaling, door systems, and accountability we’ll keep covering dead bodies with white sheets and calling it an “accident.”

Sources for the Article

India Rail Safety Overview – TIME Magazine

RTI Data on Train Falls and Deaths (2013–2023) – The Hindu

Mid-Day Report: 250 Train-Fall Deaths in Mumbai in 5 Months – May 2024

Kurla–Sion Train Fall Incident – Hindustan Times, 2023

Salesman Falls to Death from Mumbra Local – Times of India, June 2024

Kalyan Express Train Accident (Rajendra Aklekar Case) – Indian Express, October 2023

Odisha Train Collision & CBI Probe – The Hindu

Odisha DNA Identifications After Crash – Indian Express

Safety Lapses in Vande Bharat Express – Business Standard

2023 Andhra Pradesh Train Collision – Wikipedia

Kanchanjungha Express Crash – The Telegraph

Disclaimer:

This article is based on publicly available news reports, verified data, and eyewitness accounts. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, some figures and statements may be updated as more information becomes available. The intent is to highlight public safety issues, not to defame any institution or individual.