September 16, 2025: The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), in collaboration with Central and Western Railways, is on the brink of completing a landmark safety initiative aimed at curbing track-related fatalities on the city’s vast suburban rail system.
The Trespass Control Measures project, undertaken as part of Phase III of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP-III), has achieved 98% physical progress and is expected to be fully completed by the end of September 2025.
Sanctioned at a cost of Rs 551 crore, the scheme focuses on 34 high-risk locations where unauthorised track crossings have long posed a serious threat to commuter safety. Under the project, authorities have constructed 27 new foot overbridges (FOBs), two FOB extensions, two pedestrian linkways, one subway and one home platform. In addition, boundary walls and fencing have been installed extensively, with Western Railway completing 10.75 km and Central Railway 32.9 km. The final site at Kalwa (Thane end) is due for completion within weeks.
Preliminary figures suggest that these measures are already bearing fruit. Government Railway Police data shows a steady decline in fatalities over the past decade. On Central Railway, deaths fell from 1,782 in 2009 to 1,082 in 2024, a 40% reduction. On Western Railway, fatalities dropped from 1,468 in 2009 to 709 in 2024, a decline of over 51%.
“These figures highlight the effectiveness of sustained infrastructure investment in enhancing commuter safety,” a senior railway official said, noting the combined efforts of MRVC, Central and Western Railways.
Sunil G. Udasi, Chief Public Relations Officer of MRVC, hailed the initiative as a milestone. “With over 98% progress, the Trespass Control Project is nearly complete. These measures are vital for safety, accident prevention and the modernisation of Mumbai’s suburban network,” he said.
Source: The Free Press Journal
