CHENNAI: To prevent overcrowding and stampede-like situations during holidays and festival seasons, Southern Railway has decided to restrict the entry of waitlisted ticket holders at four stations – Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Coimbatore, and Ernakulam. These are among 60 stations identified nationwide for such crowd-control measures where only confirmed ticket holders will be allowed to enter the platforms.
The railways has also identified nine stations – Tambaram, Chennai Beach, Perambur, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Tiruchy, Villupuram, Puducherry, and Mayiladuthurai – that experience heavy passenger traffic during Deepavali, Chhath Puja, and extended holidays. Mini control rooms have been set up at these stations to monitor crowd movement round the clock, especially in view of the influx of guest workers.
While the date for implementing the proposed restrictions on waitlisted ticket holders is yet to be announced, the divisional railway authorities, in consultation with the RPF and GRP, have identified designated holding areas outside the entry gates of major stations to accommodate around 500-600 passengers, in line with Railway Board guidelines.
“At Chennai Central, about 600 sq m has been earmarked outside the main entrance, capable of accommodating 600 people. Similarly, a 100 sq m area has been allocated at Egmore. Due to the ongoing station redevelopment works, the available space is limited for now but will be expanded upon completion. Similar holding areas have also been identified at Coimbatore and Ernakulam to manage overcrowding,” said a senior railway official.
These spaces are intended to serve as waiting zones for passengers with waitlisted tickets. “No decision has been made yet regarding capping the sale of unreserved tickets,” the official added.
Due to limited train services and high demand, railway stations witness heavy crowds during festival seasons, driven by large-scale travel within the state and the movement of workers from northern and eastern parts of the country.
When asked about the 2017 railway policy to replace all three-metre-wide foot overbridges (FOBs) with FOBs of six to nine metres in width, the official said most of the narrower bridges posing stampede risks have already been dismantled and replaced with 9-12-metre-wide structures.
“The three-metre-wide FOBs at Guindy, St Thomas Mount, and other stations have been removed. At Egmore, one narrow FOB remains in operation only as an additional connector between platforms, since two other wider FOBs are available,” he explained.
Detailed crowd management guidelines have been issued by the principal chief security commissioner of the RPF to Chennai and five other railway divisions, outlining preventive measures against overcrowding. The directions were released a few months after the February stampede at New Delhi station which claimed 18 lives and injured 20 people.
To curb congestion, the railways has already limited the sale of waitlisted tickets to 25% of a train’s total capacity – a measure implemented in SR zone since July.
Additionally, final chart preparation has been advanced by eight hours before a train’s scheduled departure, allowing passengers to plan alternative options. For instance, for trains departing between 5 am and 2 pm, charts are now prepared by 9 pm the previous night.
R Pandiaraja, former member of the Zonal Rail Users’ Consultative Committee (ZRUCC), said, “The booking system now disables reservations once the waitlist crosses 25% of the total seats. This affects passengers who make last-minute plans due to emergencies and get confirmation through emergency quota.”
Special initiatives by Southern Railway
Entry restrictions will be imposed on waitlisted ticket holders at four major stations – Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Coimbatore, and Ernakulam
Mini control rooms will be set up at nine railway stations — Tambaram, Chennai Beach, Perambur, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Tiruchy, Villupuram, Puducherry, & Mayiladuthurai — to monitor crowd movement round the clock
CCTV surveillance will be monitored 24/7, with railway supervisors alerted through WhatsApp groups for quick response and advance preparedness
RPF and GRP personnel will be deployed to ensure smooth passenger movement on foot overbridges
