Amid rising accidents and fatalities due to overcrowding in Mumbai local trains, the Central Railway (CR) has written to about 800 organisations across the city, urging them to consider being flexible or changing office hours.
The proposal aims to divide the crowd and make commutes safer and comfortable.
As per recent statistics revealed, there were 922 accidental deaths associated with local train usage, including 210 fatalities from falls occurring on overcrowded trains between January 1 and May 31, 2025.
As the letter gained traction on social media, the CPRO of Central Railways said the proposal was not new. “No fresh letter has been written to offices. It’s an old letter, but we are reminding them via social media," they said.
It is pertinent to note that this development came in the wake of a recent incident where eight passengers fell off a crowded train near Thane's Mumbra.
The effort to stagger working hours is expected to alleviate pressure on rail services, particularly from 8-10 AM and 5-7 PM, during which they are most crowded.
The CR believes that staggered office hours, especially between CSMT and Thane, will help manage congestion.
More than 35 lakh passengers travel on 1,810 local trains per day on the CR.
According to data submitted by the Western and Central Railways, 51,802 lives were lost between 2005 and July 2024.