Historians Urge Central Railway to Preserve Last Surviving 2006 Mumbai Blast Coach
MUMBAI — Central Railway authorities are facing calls from historians to preserve Coach 864-A, the sole surviving restored train coach from the July 11, 2006 serial blasts, as it nears the end of its operational service this month. The coach, which was originally targeted at Matunga Road station, is currently running on the Central Railway network but is scheduled to be decommissioned and scrapped by the end of the month.
The historic coach was part of the 12-car 5.57 pm Churchgate-Virar local train that was torn apart during the coordinated bombings on July 11, 2006. The serial blasts killed nearly 180 people and injured scores of others across the city's suburban railway network. Matunga Road station was one of the key locations targeted in the tragedy.
Following the disaster, the damaged carriage was successfully restored and returned to active duty on the tracks. It has since served as a symbol of the city's resilience, continuing to transport Mumbai commuters for years. It is now the last remaining restored coach from the 7/11 blasts that is still in active operation.
As the coach prepares for its final month's run, historian and journalist Rajendra B. Aklekar has called for the carriage to be preserved rather than dismantled. Aklekar and other preservationists argue that the coach should be kept as a permanent reminder of the tragedy and a tribute to the resilience of Mumbai and its railway commuters.
Central Railway authorities have expressed a desire to save the coach, calling its continued operation a matter of pride. While the coach is technically expected to be scrapped by the end of the month when its operational term expires, officials have stated they will try to find a way to preserve it.
The push to save the carriage comes as the city marked the 12th anniversary of the serial blasts on Wednesday. A final decision on whether the coach will be preserved or sent to the scrap yard is expected to be made by railway officials before the end of the month.
