Despite 3% decline in number of deaths, 8 people died on Mumbai’s rail network everyday in 2016
Representational Image. Picture Courtesy: Ravi Mowgli
Apart from a slight decline in the number of deaths on rail tracks, there was little respite for the Mumbai’s 75 lakh plus daily commuters in 2016 as eight people still died on average in the city due to train related incidents everyday.
The data, for both Western and Central Railway, was obtained via a Right to Information application by activist Sameer Jhaveri, who had sought information on the number as well as cause of deaths and injuries on the city’s suburban network.
The complete breakup of the data is given below:
Number of deaths and injuries in 2016 and 2015:
| Year/Data | Deaths | Injuries | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 3,202 | 3,363 | ||
| 2015 | 3,304 | 3,349 |
While the number of deaths reduced by 3 percent in 2016, the number of injuries increased by less than 1 percent.
Despite the decline in number of deaths, at least eight people died on average in Mumbai due to rail related incidents everyday.
Breakup of deaths and injuries on Western and Central lines:
| Year/Data | Deaths | Injuries | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Railway | 2,114 | 1,856 | ||
| Western Railway | 1,088 | 1,507 |
The Central line, which is almost double the length of Western line, saw nearly twice as many casualties. In comparison, CR saw only 20 percent more injuries than WR.
Leading causes of death and injuries in 2016:
| Leading causes of death | Count | Leading causes of injuries | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crossing tracks | 1,798 | Falling from train | 1,498 |
| Falling from train | 657 | Accidental | 671 |
| Natural death | 524 | Crossing tracks | 379 |
| Suicides | 35 | Hitting poles | 85 |
| Electric shock | 34 | Electric shock | 36 |
| Others | 154 | Others | 694 |
Maximum commuters lost their lives due to crossing tracks, while most were injured after falling from trains.
Stations that saw maximum deaths on Western, Central and Harbour lines in 2016:
| Maximum deaths on Western line | Count | Maximum deaths on Central line | Count | Maximum deaths on Harbour line | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goregaon | 84 | Thane | 129 | Mankhurd | 37 |
| Virar | 81 | Kalyan | 117 | Wadala | 30 |
| Borivali | 63 | Kurla | 81 | Jui Nagar | 29 |
| Andheri | 59 | Diva | 71 | Rabale | 27 |
Most people died at Goregaon (84) on Western line, Thane (129) on Central line and Mankhurd (37) on Harbour line. Thane saw most deaths across all lines.
Stations that saw maximum injuries on Western, Central and Harbour lines in 2016:
| Maximum injuries on Western line | Count | Maximum injuries on Central line | Count | Maximum injuries on Harbour line | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andheri | 159 | Kalyan | 147 | Wadala | 34 |
| Borivali | 98 | CST | 114 | Vashi | 27 |
| Dadar | 93 | Thane | 71 | Mankhurd | 25 |
| Vasai | 91 | Dombivli | 70 | Govandi | 23 |
Most people were injured at Andheri (159) on Western line, Kalyan (147) on Central line and Wadala (34) on Harbour line. Andheri saw most injuries across all lines.
The statistics indicate that despite railway’s best efforts, which include everything from fining offenders to creating awareness, a drastic change in the number of casualties seems unlikely in the near future.
According to Jhaveri, who filed the RTI, decongesting the lines has to be the first step. It is high time that the railways increased the number of coaches and add new lines, he stated.
