In a significant move to improve commuter safety, the Central Railway on Monday unveiled India’s first non-AC suburban rake equipped with automatic doors. The initiative is aimed at commuters safety as they travel in overcrowded trains with open doors. The move follows the June 2025 tragedy near Mumbra, where five commuters lost their lives after falling from overcrowded trains. Within hours of the incident, the Railway Board had mandated automatic door-closing systems for all new non-AC locals. The newly inducted train is manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory. Currently, the 12-car rake has not yet entered passenger service and will undergo mandatory certification trials by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO).
Officials said that the trials will assess obstruction detection, ride stability, performance under simulated load conditions and door operations. The trial duration cannot be specified at this stage. The automatic door system is designed to open in around three seconds and close in about four seconds. There will be is designed to open in around three seconds and close in about four seconds. The primary objective is to curb footboard travel, a leading cause of fatalities on Mumbai’s suburban network. It is also equipped with fire-detection systems, and modified alarm mechanisms, with officials indicating that changes have also been made to reduce misuse of emergency systems like chain-pulling.
