Sudden jerk on a sharp curve led to Mumbai train accident: GRP officer
Speaking about Monday’s accident between Diva and Mumbra stations, a senior Railway Protection Force officer said, “Understanding the risk at this curve, additional RPF officers are always deployed here.”
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Thane railway station during peak hours on Monday evening. (Express Photo by Vijay Kumar Yadav)The accident that led to the death of five people and injured seven other passengers travelling on two Mumbai suburban trains occurred due to the sudden jerk that the commuters received as the train navigated the sharp curve between Diva and Mumbra stations, which made them bump into each other and fall off the trains.
The incident took place at about 9 am when a local train from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) headed towards Kasara was passing through an area where the track bends just before reaching Mumbra station.
According to authorities, passengers who were travelling at the doorway of the two trains experienced a sudden jerk due to which they were thrown out due to the tilting of the trains on the stretch. This tilting caused the passengers on the two trains to collide against each other, leading to their fall.
“Such accidents are a notorious occurrence in this patch, particularly around the curve close to Mumbra station,” a senior Government Railway Police (GRP) officer told The Indian Express, adding, “Even sitting passengers feel a jerk when the train passes the curvature. For standing commuters at the doors, it becomes very hazardous. In today’s incident, the passengers hanging near the doorway were shaken and hit the next train, which resulted in the tragedy.”
The risk is compounded during the monsoon season, when the ground beneath the tracks softens, leading to minor track misalignments and increased train sway. “Both trains appear to have leaned due to this slight misalignment, bringing the commuters dangerously close,” the GRP officer said.
A spokesperson for the Central Railway said that a formal inquiry has been initiated. “The accident occurred due to a collision between hanging passengers on two passing local trains near Mumbra,” the spokesperson said.
A senior Railway Protection Force (RPF) officer said, “Understanding the risk at this curve, additional RPF officers are always deployed here as this is an accident-prone zone. However, this accident occurred due to the collision between the passengers hanging out.”
“Despite preventive measures, the accident happened because of the forceful impact between passengers hanging outside the two trains,” the officer noted.
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