Plans to increase more AC locals for Mumbai, says Fadnavis as Opposition slams govt over train tragedy

Mumbai: A day after four commuters died after falling from two opposite running trains in parallel tracks in Mumbai, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that there are plans to introduce more AC locals with automatic doors and ventilation without impacting the fare structure.

“What has happened is serious and shocking,” Fadnavis told reporters.

The statement comes a day after Fadnavis had a 45-minute interaction with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw after the accident at Mumbra in Thane district, in which four persons died and nine others injured, two of them critically.

“Going forward, we will increase passenger amenities and passenger safety. There is load on the Mumbai suburban network. This is going to be there till all the metro lines are complete,” he said.

According to Fadnavis, with automatic doors there is also a need for a proper ventilation system. “We are planning for more AC trains without increasing the existing fare,” he said.

The CM said that improving public transport infrastructure is high on the agenda of the Centre and State governments and the need is being done.

Have separate rail corporation for Mumbai: Raj

Meanwhile, MNS President Raj Thackeray said that the demand for a separate corporation for running Mumbai’s suburban network has been going on for many years.

“He had also made this demand, but till date no government has paid any attention to this demand. Today, the planning of cities has completely collapsed. Huge crowds are coming. Big roads, bridges, and metros are being built for them. Tall buildings are being allowed, but there is no planning for parking," he said.

“Our entire focus is only on the elections and campaigning. Will Raj Thackeray-Uddhav Thackeray form an alliance? More important than this question are how travel is going in Mumbai today, how people are living in the cities and in the state as a whole,” he said, also pointing out that because of the migrants the pressure on the infrastructure is very high in Mumbai.

It is human sacrifice, not accident: Congress

The Congress has slammed the Centre and state over the accident.

“The very fact that people are forced to travel by clinging to overcrowded trains just to get to work is a tragic reflection of the system. This is not a railway accident—it is a human sacrifice taken by the BJP government,” said Maharashtra Congress President Harshavardhan Sapkal.

“The BJP government is focused on completing the bullet train project, but what Mumbaikars need is a reliable and safe local train service—not a bullet train. Yet the railway administration and government continue to play with the lives of ordinary Mumbaikars. This game must stop now,” he added.