In a tragic incident on Thursday evening, three commuters lost their lives and one sustained serious injuries after being hit by a train near Sandhurst Road station. The mishap occurred when a large number of passengers were walking along the tracks due to severe overcrowding and disruption of suburban train services caused by a sudden protest by railway employees.
According to reports, the protest was organized by the railway employees’ union in response to a criminal case filed by the Railway Police against two Central Railway engineers in connection with the recent Mumbra train accident. To oppose the action, members of the union staged a “rail roko” agitation at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) on Thursday evening.
Sources said that the National Railway Union of Mumbai (NRUM) had called for a march from CSMT around the same time, leading to massive disruption on the Central and Harbour lines. Motormen also joined the protest, resulting in suburban trains being halted at several stations. Thousands of commuters were stranded at platforms and many began walking along the railway tracks to reach their destinations.
The situation turned tragic when three of these passengers were struck by an oncoming train near Sandhurst Road. They were declared dead on the spot, while another person was critically injured.
Railway authorities have reportedly initiated talks with the union leaders to restore train operations. However, the disruption affected lakhs of daily commuters across Mumbai.
Criticizing the protest, some commuters and officials remarked that railway unions often resort to holding passengers hostage during such agitations. “Even when action is taken against erring staff, they go on strike and threaten to stop train services. Today’s incident shows how such protests endanger public lives,” an official said.
The deaths have once again raised questions about accountability during industrial protests and the need for better crowd management at railway stations in India’s financial capital.