Railway announces new rules: Passengers with confirmed tickets can only enter platform

To alleviate overcrowding at the busiest stations, Indian Railways has announced that only passengers with confirmed tickets will be allowed onto platforms at 60 major stations, including Bengaluru. The Railway Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, disclosed this policy change following consultations with senior railway officials concerning crowd management strategies at stations experiencing significant passenger volumes.

Response to Tragic Incident:

This initiative arises in the wake of a tragic incident last month, where 18 people were killed in a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, a situation reportedly exacerbated by overcrowding. In response, Indian Railways plans to establish permanent waiting areas outside these 60 stations, ensuring strict access control.

“Complete access control will be initiated at the 60 stations. Passengers with confirmed reserve tickets will be given direct access to the platforms. Those without a ticket or with a waiting list ticket will wait in the outside waiting area. All unauthorized entry points at stations will be sealed,” a statement from Railways said.

Pilot Projects and Success Stories:

Access control pilot projects have already been launched at several stations including New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Patna, proving the feasibility of the scheme. Similar crowd management measures were successfully implemented during the Maha Kumbh at nine stations in Prayagraj, ensuring safety for large gatherings.

“With this concept, the sudden crowd will be contained within the waiting area. Passengers will be allowed to go to the platforms only when the trains arrive. This will decongest the stations,” it said.

Infrastructure Developments:

Railway authorities have also proposed the construction of new foot overbridges (FOBs) to facilitate smoother crowd movement. Two designs have been developed for standard FOBs, measuring 12 metres and 6 metres in width respectively, equipped with ramps to improve accessibility. These enhancements drew praise for their effectiveness during the Kumbh festival, where they managed the influx of pilgrims.

“A large number of cameras will be installed at all these railway stations and adjoining areas for close monitoring. War rooms will be developed at large stations. Officers of all departments will work in the war room during crowd situations,” it said.