NEW DELHI: In light of experiences from the festive season and events like the Maha Kumbh, the Ministry of Railways has decided to introduce new crowd control measures at 60 railway stations across the country, officials said on Friday.
The decisions were taken at a high-level review meeting chaired by Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, they informed.
To manage and prevent overcrowding at platforms, the ministry has decided to create permanent waiting areas outside these stations. Passengers will be allowed to proceed towards platforms only when their train arrives. Pilot projects have already commenced at New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Patna stations, officials added.
"It has also been decided to introduce a complete access control system at these identified 60 stations, where only passengers with confirmed reserved tickets will be allowed onto platforms," an official said. "All unauthorised entry points will be sealed."
Additionally, the railways will install new foot overbridges (FOBs) at all stations. These FOBs will be 12 metres wide and 6 metres high, as wider bridges proved effective during the Maha Kumbh. "The new FOBs will also have ramps to facilitate better crowd movement," an official added.
The ministry has also finalised plans to enhance surveillance by installing a large number of cameras at stations and surrounding areas. War rooms will be set up at major stations where officers from all departments will coordinate crowd management efforts.
Each major station will have a station director, a senior officer empowered to take financial decisions on the spot. "The station director will also have the authority to regulate ticket sales based on station capacity and train availability," officials said.