Weeks after the deadly stampede at New Delhi Railway Station that claimed 18 lives, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw held a high-level meeting on Friday to discuss crowd control measures. The ministry announced plans to establish permanent waiting areas outside 60 stations nationwide to prevent overcrowding. Pilot projects have already begun at stations such as New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Patna. Passengers will only be allowed onto platforms once their trains arrive, and those without confirmed tickets will have to wait in designated areas outside the station to ease congestion.
Inspired by arrangements at Mahakumbh, the railways also introduced two new designs for Foot Over Bridges (FOBs) measuring 12 meters (40 feet) and six meters (20 feet) in width, which will be installed at all major stations. Enhanced surveillance measures, including extensive CCTV camera installations, will be implemented to monitor crowds. Railway staff will receive new identity cards to ensure that only authorized personnel can enter stations. Additionally, station directors will have the authority to regulate ticket sales based on station capacity and train availability to prevent excessive crowding.
In a related development, the Railway Ministry canceled all pending departmental selections for Group C posts that were not finalized before March 4, citing irregularities in the selection process. It announced a temporary suspension of new selections until a revised framework is in place. Meanwhile, following the February 15 stampede, Indian Railways announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries.
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