A significant high-level meeting led by Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, was conducted today to address crowd control at railway stations.
The following pivotal decisions have been made to enhance passenger experience and manage congestion effectively:
- Permanent Outside Waiting Areas at 60 Stations:
- After successfully managing crowds during the 2024 festival season and Mahakumbh, permanent waiting areas will be established outside 60 stations known for periodic heavy crowds.
- Pilot projects have already begun at New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Patna stations.
- This initiative will confine sudden crowds to waiting areas, allowing access to platforms only when trains arrive.
- Access Control:
- Complete access control measures will be implemented at the 60 identified stations.
- Only passengers with confirmed reserved tickets will have direct platform access.
- Passengers with waiting list tickets or without tickets will wait in designated outside areas.
- Unauthorized entry points will be sealed to prevent overcrowding.
- Wider Foot-Over-Bridges (FOB):
- Two new designs of 12-meter (40 feet) and 6-meter (20 feet) wide standard FOBs have been developed. These will be installed at all stations to facilitate smoother crowd movement.
- Enhanced Surveillance:
- A large number of cameras will be installed in and around stations for close monitoring, taking cues from the effective crowd management during Mahakumbh.
- War Rooms:
- Dedicated war rooms will be established at major stations. Officers from all departments will work collaboratively in these rooms during crowd situations to ensure smooth operations.
- New Generation Communication Equipment:
- The latest digital communication tools, including walkie-talkies, announcement systems, and calling systems, will be installed at stations with high crowd volumes.
- New ID Cards and Uniforms:
- Staff and service personnel will be issued new design ID cards and uniforms for easy identification and authorization during crises.
- Upgradation of Station Director Posts:
- Major stations will have senior officers as station directors, with other departments reporting to them.
- Station directors will be granted financial empowerment to make on-the-spot decisions for station improvements.
- Controlled Ticket Sales:
- Station directors will have the authority to control ticket sales in line with the station’s capacity and available trains to prevent overcrowding.
