Overcrowded Mumbai Locals Have Claimed 64 Lives in 2018 Already

Between a carrying capacity of 1,700 and yet a crowd of 6,000 in peak hours, something has to give.

Mumbai’s suburban Railway Network is considered the lifeline of the maximum city as it covers at least 319 kilometres.

(Photo: Reuters)

Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj

Mumbai's local trains carry more than eight million people a day.

They are also among the world's most overcrowded trains and tourists are cautioned not to take them during peak hours. Over 6,000 passengers are packed into these trains during peak hours against a carrying capacity of 1,700.

The overcrowding, the jostling and the high-speed chase to nab a spot are a perfect recipe for accidents. More than 3,000 people lose their lives while commuting every year.

Mumbai’s suburban Railway Network is considered the lifeline of maximum city as it covers at least 319 kilometres across three corridors – Western, Central and Harbour. A reasonable ticket fare, reduced travel time and accessibility make the local trains most Mumbaikars’ top choice for commute throughout the year. However, this demand also means overcrowding.

But it was neither built nor has expanded its capacity for carrying this load. In fact, engineers found the trend in this network so unique that they gave the local crowd their very own term: Super-Dense Crush Load.

Overcrowding is one of the reasons for maximum number of deaths on railway tracks. At least 2,300 people have already died this year along the tracks and over 2,605 have sustained injuries. Over the last 5 years, over 18,000 people have lost their lives either by falling off crowded trains or trespassing across the tracks, among other causes.

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