• Source:JND
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Mumbai Local Train Update: Mumbai’s local trains are set for a major safety upgrade as the Railways prepares to introduce automatic doors across its suburban network. Both new and existing trains will be fitted with the feature, which is expected to be in place by the end of 2025.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the plan on Saturday during the Bullet Train–Shilphata Tunnel event in Ghansoli. He said passenger safety is the government’s top priority. “Automatic doors will be a standard in suburban trains. These trains will start running before this year ends,” he confirmed.

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The move follows rising concerns after several fatal accidents. In June, four passengers died in Mumbra after falling from an overcrowded train, renewing calls for stronger safety measures. Official data shows nearly eight lives are lost daily on Mumbai’s suburban system, mostly due to overcrowding and track crossing.

Mumbai Local Train: 238 AC Rakes Under Production

According to railway officials, 238 new air-conditioned local trains are under production, all fitted with sensor-based doors. These will be deployed on both Central and Western Railway lines. This will be the biggest induction of AC trains in the city’s history.

Mumbai Local Train: Non-AC Coaches To Be Retrofitted

At the same time, non-AC trains will also be retrofitted. A prototype designed at Kurla has already been tested. The coach includes automatic closing doors, ventilated side panels and roof-mounted circulation units to improve air flow. Interconnecting vestibules have also been added to allow passengers to move more easily inside crowded coaches.

The system ensures that doors shut automatically before departure and open only after the train halts. Officials say this will prevent people from boarding or getting off moving trains, a common cause of accidents.

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Deployment Timeline

The first non-AC rake with automatic doors, built at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, is expected by November. Once trials are complete, wider deployment will begin. Both AC and non-AC versions are planned to be in service before December 2025.

Railways officials added that while technology is important, a change in commuter habits will also be needed. For Mumbai’s daily travellers, long used to hanging onto doors or rushing in before a train stops, this will mark a big shift in travel behaviour.