Timing of offices will change in Mumbai! Train is playing danger bell, railway requests, what will office do now

The speed of the country’s financial capital Mumbai rests on local trains, but this lifeline is now becoming a danger bell for crores of passengers of the city. Troubled by the increasing crowd, the deadly incidents happening daily and the deaths falling in trains, now the Central Railway (CR) has sent a letter to about 800 offices in Mumbai and appealed to them to change their office timing.

The offices to which the Central Railways have sent letters include the central and state government departments, corporate companies, banks, municipalities, colleges and offices of various corporations. Railways believe that if these institutions make some changes in their office time, then the burden on trains can be reduced and the safety and convenience of passengers can be increased.

According to the data of Central Railway, more than 35 lakh passengers travel daily in 1810 local trains. The route from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminal (CSMT) to Thane is the most crowded. There is no place to set foot in trains between 8 to 10 am and 5 to 7 pm.

Recently, there was a horrific incident in Mumbra near Thane, when 8 passengers fell from the crowded train, some of which were stated to be critical. This accident was a warning for the railway that if strict steps are not taken now, the situation could be worse.

A shocking report of Railways states that 51,802 passengers have died in local trains in Mumbai from 2005 to July 2024. Of these, 29,321 deaths were registered on Central Railway and 22,481 deaths on Western Railway.

Most of the deaths occurred at Kalyan, Thane, Vasai and Borivali stations. Most of these deaths occurred while falling from the train or crossing the tracks.

There is a huge shortage of space to build a new railway line in Mumbai, especially between CSMT to Kalyan. In such a situation, the railway has the most practical remedy for changes in office timing.

The Central Railway says that by bringing some flexibility in timing, the crowd can be divided according to time, which will reduce the risk of life in trains and the journey will be a bit comfortable.

After the Mumbra accident, the Railways has announced that whatever new rakes are being prepared for the Mumbai local, there will be an automatic dor closure system to curb passengers falling in the crowd.

What will office do now?

Now the question is, what steps do Mumbai’s big offices, banks and government institutions take on this appeal of Railways? Will they be ready to change time? Will there be a shared policy, so that local trains called the city’s lifeline can become safe and comfortable?