Indian Railways to Limit Platform Access to Control Crowds

Indian Railways is taking steps to manage large crowds at busy train stations, especially during peak travel times. To prevent overcrowding, only passengers with confirmed tickets will be allowed onto platforms at 60 major railway stations, including Bengaluru.

New Rules for Passengers

This decision was made after a meeting between Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and top officials, who saw the need for better crowd control. As part of this plan:

• Only confirmed ticket holders will be allowed on platforms.
• Passengers with waiting list tickets or without tickets will have to wait outside in new designated waiting areas.
• All unauthorized entry points at these stations will be closed to prevent overcrowding.

Testing the Plan at Five Stations

Indian Railways will first test this new system at New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Patna stations. Passengers will only be allowed onto platforms when their train arrives. This is to prevent incidents like the recent stampede at New Delhi Station, where 18 people died due to overcrowding.

Successful Crowd Control in the Past

Indian Railways has already tested similar methods:

• During the 2024 festival season, outside waiting areas at Surat, Udhna, Patna, and New Delhi helped control large crowds.
• At the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj, wider Foot Over Bridges (FOBs) helped manage large gatherings.

Based on this success, Indian Railways will now build wider FOBs at more stations:

• 12-meter (40 feet) wide bridges for larger crowds.
• 6-meter (20 feet) wide bridges with ramps for easy access.

More Safety Measures at Stations

To improve safety and crowd control, Indian Railways will:

• Install more CCTV cameras for better monitoring.
• Create “war rooms” at large stations where officers will monitor and manage crowds.
• Introduce new ID cards and uniforms for railway staff so they are easy to recognize in emergencies.

New Station Directors for Better Management

Every major station will have a station director with the power to:

• Control the sale of tickets based on station capacity.
• Make quick decisions to improve passenger safety and comfort.

These new rules aim to make train stations safer and more organized, ensuring a smoother experience for all passengers.