The Bombay High Court expressed deep dismay at the sight of commuters being packed like cattle in the local trains, emphasizing their crucial role as the lifeline of the Mumbai region.

During a hearing on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the increasing fatalities of commuters from overcrowded trains and accidents on tracks, the high court emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating that it must be addressed urgently.

Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar, presiding as a division bench, announced their intent to hold senior officials from both the Central and Western Railways accountable, emphasizing the dire state of affairs in Mumbai as "pathetic".

The PIL was filed by Yatin Jadhav.

"Very very serious issue has been raised in the PIL and therefore you (railway authorities) have to address it. You can't say, we can't do this or can't do that due to the large number of people (in the city). You carry people like cattle. We feel ashamed at the manner in which commuters are made to commute," the court said.

The bench instructed the General Managers (GMs) of the Western and Central Railways to thoroughly investigate the entire issue and submit affidavits accordingly. The court specified that these affidavits must be personally reviewed by the GMs and outline the existing measures in place to prevent such accidents.

It would hear the PIL next after eight weeks, the HC said.

According to the petition, in 2023, a total of 2,590 commuters lost their lives on the tracks, averaging seven deaths daily. Additionally, 2,441 individuals sustained injuries during this period. Specifically, 1,650 fatalities occurred on the Central Railway route, while 940 occurred on the Western Railway.

"You should not depend only on orders for saving people's lives. We agree you have followed those directions. But have you been able to check these deaths? Question is whether it (measures) has yielded results? Have you been able to reduce or stop deaths," asked the bench.

Kumar highlighted that Western Railway (WR) was operating at the maximum frequency possible, with trains departing every 2-3 minutes during peak hours.

The high court clarified that it was not proposing an increase in the number of trains or their capacity, but stressed the urgent need to find a solution to the issue.

"This time we will make the highest-level officers accountable. The situation in Mumbai is pathetic," the bench said.

"You (Railways) can't feel happy that you have been ferrying 35 lakh people daily. You can't say considering the number of people in Mumbai you are doing a good job. You can't even take a refuge saying there are too many people. You have to change your mindset. Your officers need not be satisfied by commuting such a large number of commuters," it added.