Mumbai: The Indian Railways has decided to introduce non-AC local trains with automatic door closure and enhanced ventilation features by Jan. The decision was taken after Monday morning's tragedy at Mumbra station, where four commuters died and several were injured after falling from overcrowded trains.Railway officials said the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) will roll out the first prototype of the redesigned non-AC local by Nov. Following trials and safety clearances, the train is expected to be inducted into service by January 2026.This marks a major policy shift, as automatic doors—so far restricted to air-conditioned rakes—will now be introduced in non-AC trains as well.To address concerns over ventilation—one of the biggest challenges in non-AC coaches with sealed doors—the Railways will incorporate features such as louvred doors for natural airflow, roof-mounted ventilators to circulate fresh air, and vestibule connections between coaches to ease passenger movement and reduce crowding.In parallel, the Railways has also initiated procurement of 238 AC local trains, all equipped with automatic doors, to enhance safety across Mumbai's suburban network which carries over 80 lakh passengers daily.The aim of the entire exercise is to bring down the number of cases of people falling from the trains. The railway officials say that automatic doors eliminate footboard travelling, which results in fewer people in the compartments.

In 2019, the Westen Railway had converted a 15-coach train's first-class compartment, a general compartment, a ladies' coach, and a compartment for the handicapped and fitted these with automatic doors. Constructed at the Western Railway's Mahalaxmi workshop, the doors cost Rs 75 lakh. While the doors will be controlled by the motorman, there are two emergency buttons — one attached to the compartments' outer walls, and the other inside the compartment right above the door — which the commuters can press to alert the motorman of a emerngency.

The idea was not implemented over to fears of poor ventilation and suffocation.