MUMBAI: During patrolling at Kalyan railway station in Feb 2025, four sharp-eyed policewomen noticed something that did not fit the rhythm of the usual evening peak hour rush: a teenage girl alone on a foot overbridge sobbing uncontrollably.Constables Tare, Mane, Sane, and assistant sub-inspector Ingavle calmed her down, and offered her some food. The 16-year-old finally revealed that she had fled her home in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP), and boarded a train to Mumbai. But once she arrived here, the sheer, crushing scale of the metropolis left her overwhelmed. They called her father, who was relieved to find out that his daughter was safe. The girl was then taken before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).The teenager is among the 11,835 stories of happy reunions facilitated by Mumbai Railway Police between Jan 2021 and April 2026. Of the 11,974 unaccompanied minors found on railway premises across the city during this period, a staggering 99% were eventually reunited with their families, showed railway police data. In fact, in nearly 50% of the cases (5,736), the children were handed over to their guardians at the police stations itself. The data also indicated that a higher number of unaccompanied boys were found on railway premises compared to girls.
Data shows nearly 12,000 unaccompanied minors reunited with families in last 5 years
So, what drives thousands of minors to board trains from all corners of the country to Mumbai?“Youngsters are drawn here by several factors,” a Government Railway Police (GRP) officer explained. “Many are attracted by Mumbai’s glamour, while others come here looking for work to support their families back home due to poor economic conditions. Some run away after clashes with their parents over grades or excessive smartphone use, and then there are those who have eloped.”These children view rail travel as an easy option, believing they can hide in plain sight among the crowd or find refuge near stations. But for many, the illusion shatters the moment they step off the train. Landing at chaotic termini like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Lokmanya Tilak Terminus or Mumbai Central Terminus, they often have no idea where to go next. It is critical that these unaccompanied minors do not become victims of child traffickers.The Railways have put together a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the safety of unaccompanied minors. Within 24 hours of such a child being found at a railway station, police are required to produce him/her before the CWC. Major railway stations and termini feature child-friendly helpdesks manned by trained members of non-profit groups.Last month, railway police received a tip-off from a social worker about more than a dozen children travelling on their own in three coaches of Asansol-Mumbai Express. Security agencies were alerted at Itarsi, Bhopal, Aurangabad, and Kalyan. Though initial searches yielded nothing, the vigilance paid off when seven children were finally spotted inside a coach at Thane station. Some had come to see relatives, some for sightseeing, and others for employment. These children were safely escorted to the CWC at Ulhasnagar.As Mumbai’s railway infrastructure is evolving, security agencies are facing new challenges. With the frequency of AC local trains gradually increasing, railway police are coming across instances of children accidentally boarding the closed-door trains and getting separated from their parents who are left behind on the platform.
