To eliminate rush during peak hours and prevent incidents of passengers falling off crowded local trains, the Central Railway (CR) has written to over 800 organisations, urging them to implement staggered office hours. Currently, Central Railway operates 1,810 local train services daily, carrying over 35 lakh (3.5 million) commuters.However, there is a lack of coordination in office timings among government and private offices situated between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Thane which results in severe overcrowding on all suburban trains during rush hours.
The Central Railway's idea to alter timings will help to alleviate the strain on the city's local train services during peak hours, which will ultimately reduce the risk of incidents such as passengers falling off crowded trains. A recent Right to Information (RTI) response from the Mumbai Railway Police Commissionerate revealed that between January 1 and May 31, 2025, 922 unintentional deaths of local train riders were reported in Mumbai. The data also shows that 210 of these fatalities were brought on by passengers falling from moving trains, which serves as a sobering reminder of the continuous safety issue with Mumbai's suburban railway system, which is frequently referred to as the city's lifeline.. Out of the total fatalities, 210 deaths were caused by commuters falling from overcrowded trains, while the remaining 712 lost their lives in incidents involving track crossings or suicides. Kalyan station reported the highest number of such fatalities, with 50 deaths in the five-month span. Thane station followed with 22 deaths from falls, while Kurla station recorded 19 fatalities linked to overcrowding-related incidents.