Ministry of Railways plans to build permanent holding areas at stations for better crowd management

New Delhi [India], February 17 (ANI): After the stampede incident at New Delhi station on February 15, the Ministry of Railways is planning to construct permanent holding areas at around 60 railway stations across the country, which are prone to crowd congestion.
As per sources of the ministry, this decision comes as part of a broader strategy to manage the large crowds that frequently gather at busy railway stations, ensuring smoother transit and reducing congestion-related issues.
According to sources, there are around 60 stations identified nationwide that experience persistent overcrowding. To address this, the Ministry of Railways will deploy artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies for real-time crowd monitoring and crisis management.
These technologies will help regulate passenger movement, predict peak hours and implement immediate measures to prevent stampedes or other safety hazards.
Sources also informed that in addition Indian Railways will launch a special campaign in Delhi area aimed at identifying and resolving key concerns related to crowd management.
As part of this initiative, opinions will be collected from passengers, coolies and shopkeepers operating at railway stations. Their feedback will be instrumental in designing solutions that cater to the needs of all stakeholders, making railway stations safer and more efficient.
Sources said that the integration of technology and infrastructure improvements will significantly enhance the overall railway experience.
The Ministry of Railways has assured that work on these permanent holding areas will commence soon, with a phased rollout across high-footfall stations. This move is expected to bring much-needed relief to millions of daily commuters.
Earlier in the day, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court in view of the recent stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station, seeking to constitute an expert committee to frame guidelines and suggest measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
The PIL sought direction from the Union and State governments to collectively constitute an expert committee to frame guidelines and measures to prevent the incidents of stampedes.
The plea filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari sought direction from Indian Railways to take measures for the safety of passengers at railway stations and platforms by widening corridors, constructing broader overbridges and platforms, and ensuring easy access to platforms through ramps and escalators. During peak hours, any changes to arrival or departure platforms should be strictly avoided.
"Utilising barriers, ropes, and crowd control gates to manage passenger flow is essential and not to distribute tickets at a time above the number of passengers who may gather and accommodate on a railway station as per to the space available," the plea stated.
The petitioner also sought directions to the Union and the states to implement the report made by the National Disaster Management Authority in 2014 titled "Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering."
The stampede occurred due to a last-minute change of the departure platform of the train to Prayagraj, said the petitioner, adding that such incidents have also occurred previously as well at railway stations.
The stampede at New Delhi railway station on February 15 left 18 passengers dead and many others injured. (ANI)