Cooling failure in Mumbai AC local leaves commuters gasping during rush hour; one hospitalised

2 min readJul 13, 2026 02:05 PM IST

A cooling system failure on a Mumbai AC local train at Mulund left passengers gasping for breath during rush hour.

Passengers aboard a crowded AC local train struggled to breathe after a technical failure shut down the cooling system while the train remained halted at Mulund station during Monday morning’s peak rush, forcing one commuter to be hospitalised.

The incident occurred around 9.26 am, when the 8.33 am Titwala-CSMT AC local developed a fault in its air-conditioning system while standing at Platform 2 of Mulund station. The cooling system stopped working for nearly 15 minutes, causing temperatures inside the packed coaches to rise rapidly.

Unlike non-AC local trains, the doors of AC locals remain locked through an automatic door-closing system and cannot be opened manually by passengers. With the cooling system shut down, ventilation inside the coaches was severely affected, leaving commuters struggling to breathe.

According to railway officials, three passengers complained of breathing difficulties and sought medical assistance.

One commuter, identified as Fahim Ansari, was shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment, while the other two recovered and continued their journeys. Videos shared on social media showed railway personnel and fellow commuters assisting affected passengers after the train reached the platform.

Officials said the rake was withdrawn from service after it reached Kurla station. The AC local was subsequently sent to the workshop for repairs after an air-conditioning fault was detected. Two scheduled services operated by the same rake were cancelled.

The incident is not unprecedented. In 2018, an air-conditioning malfunction on a Borivali-Churchgate AC local left commuters sweating profusely and complaining of suffocation. Western Railway had then attributed the problem to a technical glitch and carried out restoration work on the rake.

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The latest incident has once again raised concerns over the reliability of Mumbai’s AC suburban train services, particularly during peak hours when packed coaches rely entirely on functioning air-conditioning systems for ventilation.

Railway officials said the cause of Monday’s malfunction is being examined.