Mumbai’s bustling suburban rail network, which carries lakhs of commuters daily, is set to get a much-needed security boost. On 15 August, two new railway police stations, at Asangaon and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) will be inaugurated to ease the workload on existing stations and improve passenger safety.
The move comes amid a sharp rise in daily ridership, fuelled by rapid urbanisation. The passenger load has grown significantly between Kalyan and Kasara, especially in expanding residential areas such as Shahad, Titwala, Vasind and Asangaon. Likewise, LTT is witnessing higher footfall from long-distance trains arriving from across the country.
With more passengers has come an increase in crimes such as mobile phone snatching, theft of valuables, and disputes between commuters. Gangs targeting crowded trains and stations have also become more active. However, overburdened police stations, including Kalyan, Kurla, Wadala and Vashi, have often struggled to respond promptly, hampering crime prevention and investigations.
Jurisdiction changes
The newly opened Asangaon Railway Police Station will take over from Kalyan Railway Police Station in managing nine stations: Titwala, Khadawli, Vasind, Asangaon, Atgaon, Tanshet, Khardi, Umbarmali and Kasara.
Meanwhile, the LTT Railway Police Station will cover LTT itself, Kurla Harbour’s platforms 7 and 8 (currently under Wadala RPS), Tilak Nagar, Chembur, Govandi, and Mankhurd (earlier under Vashi RPS).
Appointments and expansion plans
As per orders from Railway Police Commissioner M. Rakesh Kalasagar, Police Inspector Jabar Tamboli has been appointed Senior Police Inspector at LTT RPS, while Police Inspector Sachin More will lead Asangaon RPS.
Currently, Mumbai’s suburban network, carrying around 75 lakh passengers daily, is served by 17 railway police stations, a number unchanged since 1999. The latest additions bring the total to 19, with further plans to open stations at Ambernath and Bhayandar in the future.
Commissioner Kalasagar confirmed that the Asangaon and LTT police stations will officially open on Independence Day.
