Mass Protest at CSMT Demands Action on Mumbai Local Train Deaths and Overcrowding

Mumbai: In response to a series of tragic deaths and growing commuter hardship, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] Mumbai Committee, along with the Pravas Adhikar Andolan Samiti has staged a protest demonstration at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) yesterday on June 16, 2025. The protest was aimed to hold the Railway Administration and Maharashtra State Government accountable for “criminal negligence” toward the city’s local train passengers.

Mumbai's local train system, often described as the city’s lifeline, serves over 7.5 million commuters daily. Yet, during peak hours, the system becomes overcrowded to dangerous levels, turning daily travel into “a death trap.” Recent incidents, including the tragic death of four passengers who fell from a moving train between Diva and Mumbra stations last week, have reignited public outrage.

Party leaders, including Dr. S.K. Rege, Shailendra Kamble (District Secretary), and Dr. Tapti Mukhopadhyay, have condemned both the Railway Administration and the Maharashtra Government for failing to improve safety and capacity in the suburban railway network. They argued that despite the growing population in the suburbs, there has been little progress in expanding train services or upgrading infrastructure.

The CPI(M) noted that projects to convert 9-coach Harbour Line trains into 12-coach trains, and 12-coach trains into 15-coach trains on the Central and Western lines, have either been delayed or ignored. According to the party, these measures are urgently needed to prevent overcrowding and ensure safe travel. They also point to the state government's failure to exert sufficient pressure on the Railway Ministry to address these issues.

In addition to highlighting the worsening situation, the protest organizers have put forward a set of concrete demands. These include immediate compensation for victims of the recent Mumbra tragedy, conversion of all local trains to 15-coach formations, immediate extension of platforms where necessary, improvements to the railway signalling system to allow higher train frequency, and the acceleration of stalled projects under the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC).

The protest also gains momentum from a broader national context — the demonstration coincides with a nationwide general strike on July 9, which CPI(M) and allied organisations say will expose the central government’s anti-people policies and its indifference toward the working class.

Calling on all Mumbaikars to join the demonstration, CPI(M) emphasised that the fight is not just for better rail services, but for the fundamental right to travel with safety, dignity, and self-respect.