A total of 26,547 people lost their lives on railway tracks in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) between January 2015 and May 2025, according to Right to Information (RTI) data accessed by activist Godfrey Pimenta from the Watchdog Foundation.
The fatalities occurred on the suburban railway network under Central Railways (CR) and Western Railways (WR), with track trespassing accounting for the highest number of deaths at 14,175.
The top three causes of deaths were track trespassing, falling off trains, and pre-existing illnesses, together contributing to 24,989 deaths, the RTI revealed. Other causes included being hit by poles, falling into the platform gap, electric shock, suicide, and natural causes.
The CR network, which is more expansive, recorded 17,212 deaths, while the WR network reported the remainder. The highest number of deaths in a single year was in 2015 with 3,304 fatalities, while the lowest was in 2020 with 1,116 deaths, likely due to the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The RTI application was prompted by a tragic incident on June 9, when five commuters died after falling off trains near Mumbra railway station.
“The number of fatalities is quite high. Railway officials must initiate measures and interventions to reduce fatalities, especially due to crossing of railway lines,” said Pimenta.
“The penalty for trespassing on tracks must be increased to deter people from crossing railway lines and reduce fatalities,” he added.
A WR official said the railways had adopted a ‘Zero Death Mission’ to curb track trespassing.
“Under this initiative, we have constructed additional foot over bridges, installed escalators and elevators, raised the height of platforms, erected fences of sufficient height between railway tracks at station premises and trespassing-prone spots,” the official stated.
“Besides, we have constructed boundary walls to plug gaps and conducted drives regularly to remove encroachments along the tracks.”
Central Railway has implemented similar measures, including closing level-crossing gates to prevent accidents.
Both CR and WR also carry out regular awareness campaigns, often with the help of celebrities and NGOs. Notable figures roped in by WR for these campaigns include Sachin Tendulkar, John Abraham, and Jackie Shroff.