MUMBAI/THANE, June 12 -- Monday's freak accident, which led to the death of four commuters who fell out of two speeding local trains, has highlighted two chronic challenges that have repeatedly turned daily commutes into deadly risks on Mumbai's suburban railway system - overcrowding and delays in train services. With the accident taking place near Mumbra station, the spotlight has turned to Diva Junction, just one station north of Mumbra. More specifically, it's the level crossing at Diva, which spans all 10 rail lines that pass through this busy station, and an under-construction road over bridge (ROB) above the level crossing, that are the subject of debate. Central Railway (CR) officials say Diva is one of the busiest stations on the Main Line. Of the 894 daily services on this line, 70-75% halt at Diva station. Against this backdrop, the level crossing at Diva significantly impacts the punctuality of train services. To shut the level crossing permanently, an ROB is being built above the level crossing, so that vehicular traffic can cross overhead - but delays in its construction could be endangering lives. The railway said, on average, the level crossing at Diva is opened at least 39 times a day, allowing 8-9 lakh vehicles to cross the tracks on this east-west route. Each time the gate opens, train services are delayed by 5 to 7 minutes, on average. This goes up to 8-12 minutes during morning and evening peak hours, with bumper-to-bumper traffic attempting to cross over. In case of trespassing or an accident at the level crossing, services halt for 15-20 min, sending train schedules into a spiral. The Central Railway documented delays in suburban services, and found that the level crossing delayed 2,558 services in 10 months in 2024-25. "The level crossing delays at least 80-90 train services every day on the CSMT-Kalyan route alone. The domino effect is the crowding we see on the platforms and in train coaches, forcing commuters to travel dangerously. We have written to the local municipal corporation, reminding them to finish the construction of the ROB at Diva," said a senior CR official, who said work on the ROB began in 2019. In a recent letter to the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), the railway pointed out that it had completed its portion of the work on the ROB, but the approach roads, one on either side, were yet to be built by the municipality. "It is observed that the approach work at the east side is in progress but work on the west side is held up due to reasons attributed to TMC. The said ROB cannot be commissioned unless approaches on both sides are completed. Whenever the (level crossing) gate is opened for road traffic, trains in either direction are detained, which leads to bunching of trains," the letter stated. Railway sources said similar letters have been sent to the chief secretary of Maharashtra, district collector and Thane municipal commissioner Land acquisition is proving to be a challenge for TMC, which has already demolished eight buildings to make way for four support pillars for the ROB. On the western side of the level crossing, TMC requires 280-300 metres of land. They have also tweaked the alignment of the ROB to prevent even more structures from being impacted. A major challenge on the east side is a public escalator built by the railway, which blocks the path for a crane that would be required to launch a girder for the ROB. TMC officials said land acquisition on the eastern side is a challenge they are tackling on priority. Prashant Sonagra, chief engineer, TMC, said, "We recently held three meetings with villagers, and based on their input, we have modified the road alignment. If there is still resistance, we have already submitted a request to the Thane collector to initiate the process of compulsory land acquisition. Once approved, we aim to complete the ROB within six months." Then there is a writ petition filed by Pandurang Bhoir, whose land on the east side of the Diva level crossing has been allegedly usurped for the ROB. "It is legally unacceptable that despite repeated submissions of documentary evidence, my ancestral land here has been forcibly encroached by the TMC, who have not initiated a proper land acquisition process. I have received neither a formal notice nor any compensation, even though this land has now been utilised for the construction of this ROB," Bhoir told HT. The TMC authorities, however, claim Bhoir has been offered compensation. Rohidas Munde, a local resident opposing the flawed execution of Diva ROB said, "Work has begun without completing the land-acquisition process. They have built girders over railway lines, but TMC has failed to plan where to land this ROB." Subhash Mhatre, another resident of Diva said, "Land should be acquired before issuing tenders, which was not done here. This ROB is being constructed directly above my home, and we were never considered until we raised objections."...