Mumbai: Following the tragic incident near the Mumbra railway station on Monday morning, which resulted in the loss of four lives due to overcrowding on local trains, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra addressed the situation on Tuesday. In a media interaction, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis discussed the limitations of the local train's capacity during peak hours.
Talking about the more AC local trains and new non-AC trains, CM Fadnavis mentioned "Our Railway Minister has emphasised that as these trains do not have a door, the possibility of an accident is high. So, he will work to put doors in such trains. Ventilation will also be taken care of. Efforts are underway to bring AC trains to suburban Mumbai."
CM Fadnavis added, "In the last 11 years, PM Modi's government has invested a large amount in Mumbai's suburban region in passenger amenities, broadening of roads, escalators, and drinking water facilities. However, it is true that during the peak hours, our carrying capacity is low. So, we need to strengthen that. We will work on this," as reported by the news agency ANI.
"After detailed discussions, it was decided that new non-AC trains will be designed and manufactured where the key issue of ventilation will be resolved using three design changes—first, the doors will have louvres. Second, coaches will have roof-mounted ventilation units to pump in fresh air. And third, the coaches will have vestibules so that passengers can move from one coach to another and balance out the crowd in a natural way," according to ANI report.
CM Devendra Fadnavis added further, "The first train of this new design will be ready by November 2025. After necessary tests and certification, it will be put into service by January 2026, as reported.
