RITES to design permanent holding areas to avoid overcrowding at rail stations
RITES will design permanent holding areas at five key stations, including NDLS, two officials familiar with the matter said
NEW DELHI: Days after a deadly stampede at New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS) killed 18 people, railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday met Rail India Technical and Economic Service Limited (RITES) officials to discuss crowd management solutions.
RITES will design permanent holding areas at five key stations, including NDLS, two officials familiar with the matter said.
On Monday, Vaishnaw said the ministry was prioritising crowd control, especially during festivals and high-traffic periods. “As part of our learnings, we have decided to ensure crowd management at railway stations, especially during festivals and special occasions like this. Over the next six months, we will establish dedicated holding areas at 60 railway stations, including New Delhi Railway Station,” he said.
Following his meeting with RITES officials, officials said the holding areas will first be developed at NDLS, Anand Vihar, Ghaziabad, Ayodhya, and Varanasi. Once the model is finalised, it will be expanded to other high-density stations.
The stampede on Saturday took place a little before 9 pm as thousands of people were rushing to board Prayagraj-bound trains for the Maha Kumbh. Poor crowd management, contradictory platform announcements, and overwhelmed infrastructure led to chaos, resulting in multiple fatalities.
The ministry plans to integrate these holding areas into the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, an initiative launched in February 2023 to redevelop over 1,200 railway stations across India.
