No More Hanging From Mumbai Locals? Automatic-Door Trains Could Change Daily Commutes

For millions of Mumbai commuters, hanging from the open doors of overcrowded local trains has become an everyday reality — a dangerous practice often romanticised as the 'spirit of Mumbai'. But a new train arriving in the city could mark the beginning of a major shift in how its suburban railway network operates. Mumbai's first non-AC local train equipped with automatic doors has arrived, raising hopes of making daily travel safer without turning the conventional local train into an air-conditioned service.

According to a Times of India report published on November 7, the 12-coach train, manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, will undergo safety and operational trials before it can be considered for passenger services. Its arrival marks a step towards introducing Metro-like safety features on Mumbai's suburban network while retaining the affordability of non-AC travel.

Mumbra Train Accident Brought Urgency To Automatic-Door Plan

The push for safer suburban coaches gained urgency after the Mumbra train accident on June 9, 2025. Commuters standing near the doorways of two overcrowded trains travelling in opposite directions fell onto the tracks. Five people died, while several others were injured.

Following the tragedy, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced plans to introduce automatic doors in Mumbai's local trains, including air-conditioned coaches. He said the Centre had agreed to the proposal, which aimed to bring Metro-like safety features to the suburban railway network without increasing fares.

Mumbai's existing AC local trains already have automatic doors that remain shut while the train is moving. The arrival of the new non-AC rake takes the proposal a step further by extending the feature to conventional suburban services.

The scale of the challenge is considerable. Around 70–80 lakh commuters use Mumbai's suburban railway network every day, according to the Mumbai Railway Police's official website.

More Than Six People Die Every Day On Mumbai's Railway Network

Government Railway Police (GRP) figures reported by The Indian Express underline the risks faced by suburban commuters.

A total of 2,287 people died on Mumbai's suburban railway network in 2025, a 7% decline from the 2,468 fatalities recorded in 2024. Despite the reduction, the figures translate into more than six deaths every day.

Of the 2,287 fatalities recorded in 2025, 525 involved commuters falling from moving trains, while 1,063 people died while crossing railway tracks. In 2024, 570 people lost their lives after falling from trains.

The figures cover deaths caused by different circumstances, not just falls from moving trains. However, they highlight the scale of safety concerns on a network used by millions every day.

How Will Automatic Doors Work Without Air Conditioning?

The biggest change in the new train is straightforward: its doors will remain closed while it is moving and open only when it reaches a station. This is intended to prevent passengers from standing on footboards or hanging outside coaches during journeys.

However, introducing automatic doors in non-AC trains presents a major design challenge. Conventional Mumbai locals rely on open doorways for natural ventilation. Closing them without improving airflow could make already crowded compartments uncomfortable, particularly during peak hours.

The ICF-built rake attempts to address this through several design features:

• Louvred door sections: These allow air to pass through even when the doors are closed.
• Roof-mounted ventilators: These are designed to improve air circulation inside the coaches.
• Vestibule connections: Passengers will be able to move between coaches instead of remaining confined to one compartment.

The vestibule arrangement could also help distribute passenger loads across the train. However, its effectiveness will need to be assessed under actual peak-hour conditions.

Trials Underway, But Passenger Services Not Yet Approved

The new train has already undergone trials on the 63-km Khajuraho-Mahoba section. Its arrival in Mumbai does not mean that passenger services will begin immediately.

Central Railway will first conduct tests on different stretches of the suburban network. The findings will be evaluated before the rake is submitted for the required fitness certification and clearance for passenger operations, according to The Times of India.

The trials will also need to establish whether automatic doors can operate efficiently during Mumbai's demanding peak-hour traffic.

Doors will have to open and close completely at every station. With hundreds of passengers attempting to board and alight simultaneously, congestion near entrances could increase the time trains spend at platforms and affect schedules.

Mumbai's Earlier Automatic-Door Experiments Faced Major Hurdles

This is not Mumbai's first attempt to introduce automatic doors in non-AC local trains.

In 2019, Western Railway modified selected compartments of a 15-coach train at its Mahalaxmi workshop. The project cost around ₹75 lakh and covered general, first-class, ladies' and differently abled compartments. However, it did not lead to regular passenger services, with inadequate ventilation emerging as one of the concerns.

An earlier experiment by Western Railway in 2016–17 also exposed operational difficulties. According to The Indian Express, overcrowding frequently triggered obstruction sensors, preventing doors from closing and disrupting train schedules.

The experiment also raised concerns about ventilation. Carbon dioxide levels inside coaches reportedly reached 2,150 parts per million (ppm) during peak hours, against a permissible limit of 700 ppm.

A similar experiment by Central Railway in 2025 reportedly encountered overheating door motors and malfunctioning sensors.

Can Automatic Doors Make Mumbai's Local Trains Safer?

The new rake represents an attempt to address one of the most visible dangers of Mumbai's daily commute: passengers travelling while hanging from open train doors. But its success will depend on more than the introduction of an automatic-door mechanism.

Ventilation, overcrowding, boarding times, sensor reliability and the performance of door systems during peak hours will all need to be tested before the train can become a regular part of the suburban network.

For a city that prides itself on never stopping, making sure commuters can travel safely should be a basic expectation. The new non-AC automatic-door train is a step towards that goal, but whether it can deliver safer journeys without disrupting the lifeline's daily operations will become clear only after the trials.