No confirmed ticket, no entry: Railways announces strict rules to control crowd at 60 stations

The Ministry of Railways on Friday announced a series of measures for controlling the crowd at major railway stations across the country, following a deadly stampede at New Delhi Railway Station that claimed 18 lives, including five children.

After a high-level meeting chaired by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the ministry decided to create permanent waiting areas outside 60 stations that frequently witness heavy crowds.

Pilot projects have already commenced at New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Patna stations.

Under the new plan, passengers will only be allowed onto platforms when their trains arrive.

At the 60 major railway stations identified by the ministry, passengers with only confirmed reserved tickets will be given access to the platforms and all unauthorised entry points will be sealed.

The ministry has developed two new designs of standard foot overbridges (FOBs) measuring 12 metres (40 feet) and 6 metres (20 feet) in width. These wide FOBs, equipped with ramps, proved effective in managing crowds during the Maha Kumbh and will now be installed at all major stations.

An extensive network of surveillance cameras is set to be deployed at railway stations and surrounding areas for real-time monitoring

War rooms will be established at large stations, where officers from various departments will coordinate during peak crowd situations.

The ministry also announced that all major stations will have a senior officer designated as the station director, who will be financially empowered to make on-the-spot decisions for station improvements.

The station director will also have the authority to regulate ticket sales based on the station’s capacity and available train services.

The decisions come in the wake of a tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night, which left 18 dead and several others injured. The incident occurred around 8 pm on two platforms where passengers were waiting to board trains to Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh was taking place.

An initial investigation by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) revealed that the stampede was triggered by conflicting announcements regarding the departure platform of a special train to Prayagraj.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has ordered an enquiry into the incident.