Mumbai: A gradual shift to closed door local trains must be initiated to AI-based identification of risk zones using CCTV and to ensure the safety of commuters.In a report submitted to the Railway Bureau, the five-person committee cited overcrowding, open-door travel and footboard riding as the main contributors to the accident in which nine commuters fell off the train. “Preventive Surveillance and Behavior Change” emphasized its importance in controlling deaths in a suburban network of over 75 lakhs each day, and proposed launching a behavioral campaign warning against the dangers of footboard travel. The danger zone said it should be marked with clear signs and announcements to warn commuters. A senior railway official said, “AI's integrated CCTV monitoring will help alert overcrowded coaches in real time and enable aggressive crowd management.” To improve sustainable safety, the committee urged the CR to introduce an automatic door closure system (closed door EMU equivalent to metro trains) to prevent passengers from standing at the edge of the compartment. It also proposed redesigning the coach's entry area to discourage commuters from hanging outside and increasing the frequency of trains. Moreover, the Commission advised the state government to promote alternative modes of mass transport, including the completion of metro corridors, the development of waterways, ropeways and air taxis. According to the report, on June 9th, the footboard commuters of the 9th and 10th coaches on the CSMT-Karjat train had a backpack about 30cm thick. These contacted commuters on the footboards of the second and third coaches of another train, headed in the opposite direction, causing the passengers to collide and fall on each other. Preliminary investigations using CCTV footage from previous stations suggested a similar sequence, recording wounds on the Kasara CSMT coach, possibly caused by the bag.
