With the increasing number of commuters' deaths, the Bombay High Court (HC) has criticised the treatment of local train passengers, comparing it to the treatment of cattle, mainly due to overcrowding.
On Wednesday, June 26, the court questioned the Railways' ability to prevent deaths from train falls and crossings. Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar pointed at the Railways' obligation to save lives. They issued a clear warning that the senior officials of the railways can also be held responsible for the deplorable condition of the Mumbai local.
During a hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL), the judges highlighted the high death toll on suburban trains. The petition listed reasons for the fatalities and offered recommendations for improvement. "You must not rely on the court's direction to save people's lives. The situation in Mumbai is pathetic," the Chief Justice remarked.
In response to this, Advocate Suresh Kumar, appearing for the Western Railway, said it was taking measures such as putting up barricades between tracks and construction of two or three foot-over-bridges at every station. The WR has implemented HC directions passed in an earlier PIL on the issue.
Kumar pointed out that the WR was running services at the highest possible frequency, with trains leaving every 2-3 minutes during peak hours.
The high court said it was not suggesting that the Railways increase the number of trains or their capacity, but a solution has to be found.
The PIL noted that the Mumbai suburban train system is the second busiest in the world after Tokyo. It experiences more than 2,000 deaths every year, with a fatality rate of 33.8. The petition also pointed out the outdated and inadequate infrastructure at train stations despite the increase in passenger volume.
As per the petition, 2,590 commuters lost their lives on the tracks in 2023, which was seven deaths every day. As many as 2,441 persons were injured during the same period.
While 1,650 people were killed in accidents on the Central Railway route, 940 died on the Western Railway.
The court requested affidavits from the general managers of Central and Western Railways. The affidavits should verify the steps taken to improve passenger safety. The judges focused on the need for practical solutions rather than blaming the high volume of commuters.
It would hear the PIL next after eight weeks, the HC said.
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