In the past 10 years, 26,547 people have died while travelling on Mumbai’s suburban trains. But only 1,408 families have received compensation for their loss. This data came from a Right to Information (RTI) reply received by activist Godfrey Pimenta.
Most of these deaths are caused by passengers falling while trying to board or get off moving trains. Many fall into the gap between the platform and the train. Overcrowding is another major reason. On June 9, five people died near Mumbra station when two packed trains passed each other and passengers fell off.
Unsafe railway crossings and sudden stampedes have also caused many deaths. On September 29, 2017, a stampede at Elphinstone Road station killed 22 people.
Locals carry nearly 70 lakh passengers every day. Every day, at least eight people lose their lives on the city’s three railway lines. Each train coach often carries 1,800 passengers. This is two to three times its actual capacity.
Despite these numbers, Indian Railways has compensated only a small portion of the families. From January 1, 2015, to May 31, 2025, the families of 1,408 dead passengers were paid INR 103.71 crore. Another INR 14.24 crore was given to 494 passengers who were injured.
This means:
Average Death Compensation: INR 7.36 lakh per person
Average Injury Compensation: INR 2.88 lakh per person
As per reports, families have been struggling to get help. Many of them have long been requesting compensation from the tribunal.
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