Indian Railways Implements Safety Enhancements Post New Delhi Station Tragedy

New Delhi, Feb 17 (NationPress) Following the heartbreaking stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station that claimed the lives of over 18 individuals and injured several others, the Railway Ministry has initiated a thorough revamp of crowd management strategies nationwide.

In a dedicated six-month initiative, improvements will be made at Delhi’s railway stations to boost passenger safety and facilitate their movement.

On Monday, the Ministry unveiled a set of measures designed to avert overcrowding and promote a more seamless passenger experience.

As stated by the Ministry, sixty high-traffic railway stations will now incorporate designated holding areas to manage crowds effectively.

Enhanced monitoring systems will be introduced to monitor passenger density, especially during train delays.

Local railway personnel will undergo specialized training in situational awareness and crisis management, according to the Ministry.

Thirty-five significant railway stations linked to Prayagraj will be under the continuous oversight of the Central Railway War Room.

The New Delhi Railway Station has already seen the deployment of 200 CCTV cameras to bolster security and monitoring efforts.

With passenger traffic surging to 17 lakh at a single station during Mauni Amavasya, strategic interventions have been put in place to manage such inflows.

Designated holding areas and colour-coded enclosures will assist in guiding passenger flow in a more organized manner. Arrows and separators will aid passengers in navigating towards these holding areas efficiently.

In the past two years, twenty-one underpasses have been constructed to facilitate pedestrian movement, as stated by the Ministry of Railways.

Considering that 90 percent of Kumbh devotees travel from within a 300 km radius across four states, targeted monitoring will be enforced at the pertinent railway stations.

The new measures include the use of cameras to curb congestion and prevent unauthorized sitting in staircases and landing zones.

These proactive initiatives demonstrate the Railways’ commitment to passenger safety and effective crowd management, ensuring that India’s busy railway hubs remain secure and orderly.

Previously, the Delhi Police assigned six inspector-level officers to the New Delhi Railway Station to enhance crowd management.

These officers, sourced from various districts, were selected for their expertise in managing operations at the New Delhi Railway Station, one of the country's busiest transit points.

Some of these officers had previously served as Station House Officers (SHOs) at the station, providing them with a comprehensive understanding of the logistical and security challenges associated with large crowds.

On Saturday night, a stampede at the station resulted in the deaths of at least 18 people, including five children, and left more than a dozen injured.

The incident occurred due to a sudden influx of passengers awaiting trains to Prayagraj.

The tragedy unfolded on the foot-overbridge linking platform numbers 14 and 15, where some passengers lost their footing while descending, leading to panic and a deadly crush.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has mandated an investigation and established a two-member high-level committee to scrutinize the lapses.

In the aftermath of the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, emergency measures have also been adopted by other stations across the nation.