NEW DELHI: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday reviewed crowd management arrangements and operational preparedness at the War Room set up at Rail Bhawan to monitor passenger movement and regulate crowds at major railway stations during the festive season.
The centralised facility monitors passenger movement in real time at 38 stations, including New Delhi railway station, from where large numbers of passengers are travelling to Bihar and other parts of North India for Chhath and other festivals.
Speaking to the media after the review, Vaishnaw highlighted the role of technology in improving surveillance, operational efficiency and passenger management.
"Our war room has alive monitoring from 38 stations in the country wherefrom Chhatha and other festival bound crowds of passangers are originating.Alone at New Delhi, footfalls of passangers for the Chhatha festivals and Diwali multiplied many times and reached around 8 lakh footfalls daily", he said.
He said dedicated passenger holding areas had been set up at 20 railway stations to accommodate crowds and allow passengers to wait safely until their trains arrived.
The War Room is equipped with live CCTV feeds, AI-based systems and real-time operational data. Officials can monitor platforms, foot overbridges and station surroundings across multiple locations simultaneously. They can also zoom in on individual camera feeds to examine specific areas.
"Through a centralized monitoring system, officials can simultaneously monitor multiple locations. The facility also enables officials to zoom into individual CCTV camera feeds for a closer examination of specific locations, facilitating more focused monitoring and assessment", said an official.
Vaishnaw said Indian Railways had expanded its festive-season arrangements, including additional train services, dedicated ticket counters and passenger holding facilities. More than 18,000 special trains are being operated this festive season, compared with around 12,000 last year.
Other measures include multiple passenger scanning facilities to streamline entry and movement, and around 700 AI-enabled cameras to strengthen surveillance.
He said preparations for the festive rush had begun nearly six months ago, with particular attention to the expected surge in passenger movement ahead of Chhath.
The War Room's AI-enabled tools also allow officials to analyse activities and incidents at specific locations through prompts, assess developing situations and initiate timely responses. The system also tracks train movements and delays, helping officials identify disruptions, analyse their causes and take corrective measures to improve punctuality.
Vaishnaw told TNIE that New Delhi railway station was undergoing a major facelift, with luggage scanners and other passenger facilities being upgraded to prevent congestion during peak festive travel periods.