Mumbai, Jan. 26 -- For every 2,000 suburban train commuters in the city, there is just one police personnel deployed to maintain law and order, highlighting a severe manpower crunch in railway policing. Mumbai's suburban railway network carries around 6.8 million to 8 million passengers daily, making it one of the busiest transport systems in the world. However, the Government Railway Police (GRP) continues to function with significant staff shortages. According to recent GRP data, 693 posts in the lower ranks and 65 officer-level posts remain vacant in the GRP. Although the railways have sanctioned 255 officer posts, 65 posts, nearly 25%, are currently vacant. Of the sanctioned 4,185 police personnel posts, 693 (16%) remain unfilled. Currently, only 190 officers are in service, including 8 police inspectors, 17 assistant police inspectors and 40 police sub-inspectors among the vacant posts. Of the serving officers, 173 are male and only 17 are female. This shortage has been exacerbated by stalled recruitment during the Covid-19 years. While nearly 1,500 police personnel retire every year, fresh hiring was halted in 2019, 2020 and 2021, leading to a backlog of vacancies which are yet to be filled. Officials say the manpower shortage affects commuter safety. GRP data shows that although fatalities on railway tracks declined from 2,468 in 2024 to 2,287 in 2025, this still translates to an average of six deaths every day. Injuries also reduced marginally, from 2,697 to 2,554 in the same period. A total of 4,185 police personnel posts have been sanctioned in the Central and Western railway divisions. These include posts of assistant police sub-inspectors (406), police constables (3,756), and 23 drivers. Of these, 2,549 are male and 943 are female police personnel. However, in reality, only 3,492 posts have been filled and 693 posts are vacant. Kishore Shinde, assistant commissioner of police (GRP), said overcrowding remains a major trigger for conflicts. "There is a constant clash between the train's capacity and the number of passengers boarding. Frustration due to overcrowding often leads to fights, and even issues like talking loudly on the phone can lead to disputes," he said. A Central Railway official said around 200 Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel are deployed during peak hours. "CCTVs have been installed at 97 stations, and integrated security systems are being set up at five major stations. Talk-back systems and CCTVs are also installed in over 700 ladies' coaches and premium trains," the official said. Passenger union members, however, said vacancies have remained unfilled for nearly a decade. "As commuter numbers rise every year, the GRP must strengthen security. The failure to fill vacancies directly impacts passenger safety," said Madhu Kotian, a rail passengers' union member. GRP commissioner Rakesh Kalasagar said recruitment is underway. "We are recruiting 743 personnel this year," he added....