After the Mumbra railway accident, in which nine passengers fell from a moving local train, resulting in the death of four, Central Railway’s Mumbai division has finally been jolted into action. The incident happened on June 9 around 9:30 am. Central Railway has begun planning to increase the number of 15-coach train services. Dr. Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, stated that they have been planning this for a while now. However, there is no official timeline yet for this implementation, raising the question: When will these additional services actually begin?
A total of nine passengers fell from the Kasara-CSMT and CSMT-Karjat locals. The exact cause of the incident remains unclear. Central Railway and the Railway Police are currently investigating the matter. Dr. Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, said, "Even before this accident, planning to increase 15-coach train services was already underway. The process is quite complex, requiring the removal of certain structures at CSMT. That process has now started."
A master plan for increasing 15-coach train services was created back in 2017. The same plan is now being utilized. In the first phase, platforms at Karjat, Badlapur, Ambernath, and Kalyan are being extended. In the second phase, the same will be done at Kasara, Asangaon, Titwala, and Kalyan. Currently, there are enough platforms available between Kalyan and CSMT to run 15-coach locals. Hence, the expansion is being carried out first on the CSMT-Kalyan route. Efforts are also underway to reduce crowding at Kalwa, Mumbra, and Diva stations by increasing the number of fast services between CSMT and Thane and slow services between Thane and Kalyan.
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Railway officials mentioned that only after completing the demolition of nearby structures at CSMT and finishing other related works will it be possible to increase the number of 15-coach services.
Dr. Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer, Central Railway, said, "An inspection of the accident-affected Kasara-CSMT and CSMT-Karjat local trains has revealed no conclusive evidence so far. A five-member committee appointed by the Central Railway is currently investigating the matter. A report is expected within the next ten days."