Maharashtra
Mumbai Local Train Tragedy: Former Central Railway GM Subodh Jain Blames Backpacks & Internal Crowd Pressure For Mumbra Mishap
Mumbai: The tragic incident near Mumbra station, where 13 passengers fell from a moving local train, has reignited serious concerns over safety in Mumbai’s suburban railway network. Former General Manager of Central Railway and ex-Member (Engineering) of the Railway Board, Subodh Jain, has weighed in on the mishap, blaming a combination of internal crowd force and the growing risk posed by bulky backpacks.
The accident occurred on Monday morning between Mumbra and Diva stations, triggering widespread outrage among daily commuters and rail users who have long complained about inadequate infrastructure, infrequent trains, and poor crowd control during peak hours.
Jain termed such mass-fall incidents as “extremely rare” but indicative of systemic failure. “An incident where multiple passengers fall simultaneously due to internal jostling is highly unusual and points to serious lapses in crowd management and train capacity planning,” he said.
He emphasized that it wasn’t an external collision or track-related issue but rather the intense internal pressure inside an overcrowded coach that likely pushed commuters out. “The overcrowding is such that even a small imbalance or movement can create a chain reaction,” Jain added.
The former top boss of Central Railway also flagged the unintentional danger posed by modern-day commuter habits, particularly the use of large and heavy backpacks. In overcrowded coaches, backpacks protruding from the bodies of standing passengers can inadvertently brush against those hanging at the train’s edge, causing them to lose balance. This risk multiplies when two packed trains pass each other at close range.
“Backpacks may seem harmless, but in a packed moving train, they can act as destabilizers. When a commuter is hanging at the edge and gets nudged by a backpack — even slightly — the result can be fatal,” he explained.
When asked about the track curvature at the accident site, Jain stated that although the curve may have worsened the situation, it cannot be regarded as the main cause of the incident
Jain also provided a technical breakdown of train spacing, noting that the minimum distance between two tracks in Mumbai’s suburban section is about 4.5 metres. With a train width of 3.66 metres and allowing 150 mm for dynamic sway, the remaining net clearance is approximately 690 mm. “This space is generally enough to accommodate the body sway of a standing or hanging passenger, provided the overcrowding remains limited to one direction,” he said.
However, Jain acknowledged that there are exceptions. Some narrow sections, such as the stretch between Masjid and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), have reduced track gaps. In these high-risk areas, speed restrictions are already enforced to minimize risk.
Blaming the prolonged delay in crucial infrastructure projects like the 5th and 6th line corridors, which have remained stagnant for over a decade on both the Central and Western suburban railway systems, former Railway Board Member Subodh Jain stated that the expansion of the suburban network has been severely hampered. As a result, the level of overcrowding has significantly worsened.
Mumbai: Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has claimed to have seized 4 country-made pistols and 35 live cartridges worth Rs 7.5 lakh from a suspect who was coming to sell weapons. The ATS had received information that a 35-year-old man was going to sell weapons on Mahatma Gandhi Road in Dombivali, adjoining Mumbai. The ATS team laid a trap and searched him and recovered 3 country-made pistols and 35 live cartridges from his possession. A case has been registered against the accused at ATS Kala Chowki under other sections including the Arms Act. The accused was also arrested with a firearm during technical investigation. So far, the police have recovered 4 firearms, 35 live cartridges and 2 migraines, which are said to be worth Rs 7.5 lakh. Further investigation is underway.
Maharashtra
After occupying the Dargah in a village of Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, what is the social boycott of Muslims doing?
Mumbai: After occupying an ancient shrine of Ramzan Ali Shah Baba in the Goha area of Ahmednagar, Maharashtra and installing an idol there, a social boycott of Muslims is now being imposed here. If any non-Muslim in the village buys, sells or transacts with the Muslims of the village, the non-Muslim mischievous elements here impose a fine on him. Such an undemocratic and immoral environment has been going on in Maharashtra under the nose of the BBJP government since 2023, and the government has remained a silent spectator.
Such an expression was expressed by Tushar Gandhi at a meeting organized by an organization called ‘Hum Bharat Ke Log’ at Mumbai’s Islam Gymkhana under the leadership of Maulana Syed Moinuddin Ashraf alias Moin Mian. Former Maharashtra Minister and Congress leader Arif Naseem Khan, former MIM MLA Waris Pathan, Nizamuddin Raein, social activist Feroz Methi Borwala, Javed Janeja, Saeed Noori and other socio-political and national figures were present at that time. Where it was decided that soon a delegation would meet the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and both Deputy Chief Ministers, besides the leaders of all political parties, on this issue.
Maharashtra
BMC’s initiative to fill potholes on Mumbai roads, Pothole Quick Fix app ready, pothole complaints now possible on social media too
Mumbai: To expedite the repair of potholes on roads due to heavy and torrential rains in Mumbai, Mumbai Municipal Corporation has launched ‘Pothole Quickfix’ (pothole repair) mobile app and WhatsApp chatbot (8999228999) service. The ‘Pothole Quickfix’ mobile app has been made operational for citizens from June 9, 2025. Special focus has been given to increasing citizen participation in the pothole repair process and simplifying the process of registering complaints of potholes.
After opening the application, the process of successfully registering a complaint has been made available in less than 5 clicks. This app is available on both Android and iOS platforms. ‘Pothole Quickfix’ is a user-friendly mobile app. Through this app, citizens have been provided with an easy and fast facility to register complaints by uploading the picture, location and information of the potholes. The complaint made through the mobile app reaches the concerned department directly and the process of repairing the potholes starts immediately. This app was launched by Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani on June 9, 2025.
Mumbai Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani, Road and Transport Department has started road development works on a large scale. Similarly, plans have also been made to fill/repair potholes found on the roads during monsoon. For potholes found on the roads as well as repairable roads, the Information Technology (IT) Department of the Municipal Corporation has developed an app called ‘Pothole Quick Fix’. This app provides citizens with a simple and easy digital option to register complaints immediately by uploading the picture, location and details of the pothole.
The registered complaint is automatically sent to the office of the concerned department, allowing the Municipal Engineers to take immediate action. The app provides location-based complaint registration, photo and location tagging, complaint status tracking, estimated repair time and feedback after work is completed. The app is available on both Android and iOS platforms. This initiative will play a vital role in facilitating communication between citizens and municipal machinery for road safety.
One arrested from Dombivali with firearms
After occupying the Dargah in a village of Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, what is the social boycott of Muslims doing?
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