Security measures beefed up at railway station

Following the tragic stampede at the New Delhi railway station on Saturday night and lack of arrangements for crowd management, security measures were beefed up at the station on Monday.

A day after the incident that killed at least 18 persons, passengers had complained of lack of arrangements for crowd management. However, officials said several key changes had been made and strict measures had been adopted.

The Railways had on Sunday announced the decision that all special trains running towards Prayagraj would run from Platform number 16. Among security measures, loitering on the foot over bridge (FOB) had also been prohibited. “We have seen several people waiting or standing on the FOB without any reason, causing delays for other passengers trying to reach different platforms. Now, no one will be allowed to stand on the FOB without a valid reason,” an official said.

Further, the platform witnessed increase in number of security personnel and tied a rope along the platforms to deter them from rushing towards the approaching trains. A makeshift tent was also erected outside the railway station for Kumbh devotees, waiting for the arrival of their respective trains.

“We have set up barricades, intensified patrolling and deployed quick reaction teams to prevent any further incident. CCTV surveillance has also been enhanced, with control rooms monitoring real-time footage for crowd control,” the official added.

Meanwhile, further crowd control measures and protocols were announced across the country for the next six months. To prevent any such incidents, colour-coded enclosures, enhanced tech to monitor crowd and crisis management training would be given to railway personnel.

Along with this, 60 high-traffic railway stations that witnessed overcrowding due Maha Kumbh rush will see special holding areas with colour-coded sections and pathways for crowd movement.

Of the 60 stations under surveillance, 35 key stations directly linked to Prayagraj would be monitored in real time from a centralised ‘war room’. These 35 stations, including those in Delhi, would receive special monitoring, officials said.

As part of this, over 200 new CCTV cameras would be installed at Delhi’s railway stations.

Additionally, the Delhi Police had assigned six inspector-rank officers to manage crowds at the New Delhi railway station, while the Railway Police Force has increased its deployment.