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.
Maharashtra
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticizes Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting here today, termed the allegations of Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi against the Election Commission of India (EC) as baseless and said that Rahul Gandhi had not complained to the Election Commission regarding this but his cell had corresponded with the Election Commission regarding this. The Election Commission has sent a 60-page reply to all the objections, despite this, Rahul Gandhi is lying. His job is to lie. He said that Operation Sindoor is a source of pride for the country and cannot be questioned, but people are also questioning it. Several political leaders have different opinions on this. Someone hides something in the newspaper.
The Chief Minister said that the economy of 25 crore people has improved and they have risen above the poverty line. To say that some people have benefited is to say that some people earn a few paise more, but even the last person has got an opportunity. The country’s economy is developing rapidly. Devendra Fadnavis refused to say anything on Jayant Patil’s resignation from the responsibilities of the state president, but he did say this much that it is necessary to understand why Jayant Patil expressed his desire to resign from all responsibilities.
Maharashtra
Missing girl from Mahim recovered from Dharavi

Mumbai: After searching for a missing girl in Mahim area, Mumbai Police handed her over to her parents. Complainant Sitara Mohammad Amin (33), who lives in Raheja slum under the limits of Mahim police station, said that her daughter had left the house to get milk for her brother and she did not reach home. Her mother searched for her everywhere and then the police suspected that someone had kidnapped her. After registering a case in this matter, the police started searching for the girl and two teams of Mahim and Shahu Nagar police were formed. On examining the CCTV footage, it was found that the girl had gone towards Dharavi. On this, the girl was recovered from Dharavi’s Badi Masjid and handed over to her parents. This action was taken under the guidance of senior officers including Additional Commissioner Vikram Deshmukh, DCP Ganesh Gawade.
Maharashtra
Cold war in Mahagathbandhan over Nitesh Rane’s statement, Shiv Sena complains about Rane to CM

Mumbai: In the Maharashtra Cabinet meeting, the differences between Shinde and BJP became public when Shiv Sena ministers complained to the Chief Minister about Nitesh Rane on the issue of who is the father of whom and now once again such rumors have spread that all is not well between Shinde and BJP. In such a situation, a situation like cold war has arisen between BJP and Shiv Sena.
In the Maharashtra Cabinet meeting today, there was a heated debate between Shinde and BJP ministers on the issue of who is the father of whom and Shiv Sena Shinde Sena ministers have also complained about minister Nitesh Rane to the Chief Minister of the state Devendra Fadnavis, information has been received from sources.
While addressing a public meeting in Dharashiv Osmanabad, Nitesh Rane had said without naming anyone that the Chief Minister of the state Devendra Fadnavis is sitting on the chair. This thing also echoed among the Shiv Sena ministers, after which it started echoing in the cabinet meeting as well and the Shiv Sena ministers formally complained directly to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra in the cabinet meeting. Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Nilesh Rane had also advised Nitesh Rane to stay away from such statements and had also objected to such statements.
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