Railway Board Approves Automatic Doors For Mumbai Locals After Mishap

After a tragic Mumbai train accident on Monday that killed at least four passengers, the Railway Board said all new suburban trains will have automatic door-closers.

These coaches will be built by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.

The Railway Board, the top decision-making body under the Ministry of Railways, has also asked officials to explore adding automatic door systems to existing train rakes in service.

The new design includes doors with louvers for ventilation and roof-mounted units to pump in fresh air. Coaches will also have vestibules, allowing passengers to move between coaches and ease crowding more naturally.

This marks a long-overdue move. The idea of automated doors for Mumbai locals has reportedly been on the table for over 15 years. Trials were first held in 2006-07, but the project never moved forward.

Monday’s incident occurred in the early morning hours, when eight passengers fell off a train between Diva and Mumbra stations.