Waiting areas at 60 major railway stations to help control crowding

The Union railways ministry has approved the creation of permanent waiting areas outsides 60 major railway stations across the country to control periodic surges in passenger flow and enhance station management.

The decision was made on Friday during a high-level meeting chaired by Union railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, according to an official statement. The meeting, held nearly a month after the tragic stampede at the New Delhi railway station on February 15 that claimed 18 lives, also approved several key measures, including the construction of wider foot over bridges (FOBs), installation of war rooms and the implementation of advanced communication tools to improve passenger safety.

The designated waiting areas will hold large crowds outside 60 stations –– which frequently experience heavy congestion –– and passengers will only be allowed onto the platforms when their respective trains arrive, the statement said. However, the names of the railway stations selected for the initiative have not yet been disclosed.

The concept was earlier tested as a pilot project at New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Varanasi, Ayodhya and Patna stations during the 2024 festive season, it added.

To further streamline crowd control, the Railways will implement access control at these stations, ensuring that only passengers with confirmed reserved tickets can enter the platforms. “Passengers without a ticket or with a waiting list ticket will wait in the outside waiting area,” the statement said, adding that all unauthorised entry points will be sealed to prevent uncontrolled access.

To enhance station management, senior officers will be deployed as station directors at major railway stations. These officials will be granted financial autonomy to make immediate decisions for station improvements. Another critical reform pertains to ticket sales, where station directors will be empowered to regulate ticket sales based on the station’s capacity and available train services.

The Railways will also install standardised FOBs across all major stations, featuring two width options —12 metres and six metres — based on new design specifications. “These wide FOBs with ramps were highly effective in crowd management during Maha Kumbh,” the statement said.

To bolster station security, a significant number of cameras will be installed for real-time monitoring of station premises and surrounding areas. Large stations will be equipped with war rooms, where officers from multiple departments will coordinate crowd control efforts, the statement said.

Additionally, communication systems will undergo a major upgrade. Walkie-talkies, public announcement systems and calling networks will be modernised across heavily crowded stations. Railway staff and service personnel will also be issued newly designed identity cards to ensure that only authorised individuals are allowed access during emergencies, the statement added.

The move comes days after overcrowding triggered a stampede at the New Delhi railway station on February 15. Thousands of passengers had gathered to board three Prayagraj-bound trains for the Maha Kumbh pilgrimage. The situation worsened as a large crowd built up at platform number 14, waiting for the departure of the Prayagraj Express. Delays in two other Prayagraj-bound trains –– the Swatantrata Senani Express and the Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani exacerbated the congestion –– leading to the fatal incident.