THANE: Mumbai's most valued lifeline, the suburban railway network , has earned the reputation as most unsafe mode of travel, considering that 10,413 commuters died and another 12,227 suffered near-fatal injuries during the last four years (2009-2012), according to information sourced from the central and western railway authorities.

More than sixty years after the formation of the suburban railways, CR, one of the busiest rail network covering a distance of over 150km from CST-Kasara-Khopoli and up to Panvel, has the highest accident rate leaving behind a death toll of 7,876 and injuring 5,942 from 2009 up to 2012.

While commuter traffic on this sector has multiplied from a daily average of 30 lakh-plus in 2005-06 to a stunning 40-lakh-plus during 2012-13 fetching handsome returns for the CR authorities, the safety standards and quality of commute remains much to be desired, according to Thane resident Omprakash Sharma.

The initiatives required for reducing deaths and near-fatal injuries for commuters do not appear to be adequate. In fact, the death tally on the CR stations reflects an upward climb in the last four years. From 1,917 persons who died on the CR tracks due to overcrowded compartments or incidents of pole hit during 2009, the toll has increased to 2,009 in 200. The injured tally has also swelled from 1,446 in 2009-10 to 1,480,'' the secretary of the Thane district railway passengers association told TOI.

He claimed that it was definitely deplorable on part of the CR administration that in this age and time an average of seven commuters should die in everyday commute, while the average number of eight persons is left injured.

On most stations, senior citizens and women commuters have a great difficulty in boarding and alighting from the trains because of the low height of the platforms. This is the first accident-prone step. Clinging on footboards in crowded trains is again inviting trouble but commuters are prepared to risk that, as boarding the next train is going to be equally tough. "People have been travelling like this for decades and nothing has changed,'' Sharma told TOI.

Questioning the railway's rehabilitation policy for the next of kin of those who have died or rendered handicapped due to the poor safety standards of the railway, he said, "In most cases, the family's bread-winner is the casualty. The compartments are packed like sardines in a tin and deaths and accidents are common occurrences. Often families have to suffer a long legal ordeal to get the compensations as the rail authorities contest the claim creating hurdles for the family," he claimed.

In comparison, the high-density western corridor seems less dangerous as the fatalities here totalled up to 2,547 and the number of injured commuters during these four years is up to 4325.

The figures also reveal that accident -prone stations on the WR track have remained much the same during this period with Bandra and Andheri stations having the highest injured tally. As many as 394 persons suffered from rail-related injuries at Bandra station, while 384 commuters are said to have had a near-miraculous escape at Andheri station area.

The Goregaon, Kandivli and Virar stations have suffered the highest casualties consistently as records show that 168 persons died at Goregaon station, followed by 162 at Kandivli and 128 at Virar.