Festive Season Rail Safety: Coordinated Crowd Management Push
New Delhi, October 24: As passenger traffic surges during Diwali, Chhath and other major festivals, the railway security apparatus has rolled out a wide-ranging strategy focused on crowd control and safe travel.
On Saturday, an official statement described a national conference of Government Railway Police heads, the 8th of its kind, where festival crowd management, railway security and inter-agency coordination were discussed at length.
Organised by the Railway Protection Force (RPF), the high-level gathering aimed to review emerging threats to railway security, share the best practices of different states and reinforce teamwork between RPF, GRP and state police.
Northern Railway's Delhi Division outlined the crowd control model it applied during Diwali and Chhath. The model is built on a coordinated action plan with Delhi Police, GRP and Delhi Metro, and includes CCTV surveillance, public announcements, barricades, designated waiting areas and dedicated control rooms.
According to the Ministry of Railways, the festive season requires careful advance planning, effective management of passenger flow and coordinated placement of security forces. These steps are meant to keep movement orderly and protect travellers.
The conference was presided over by Sonali Mishra, Director General of RPF. Satish Kumar, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Railway Board, Board members and GRP heads from different states and Union Territories were present.
A significant gain from the meeting was the linking of GRP personnel with the RailMadad platform. This move, undertaken by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), is designed to make the handling of passenger complaints more effective, speed up information flow and improve complaint monitoring.
Other initiatives to boost railway and passenger safety were also reviewed. South Central Railway presented its 'Pink Patrol: Eyes in the Sky, Shakti on the Ground' model, which integrates drone-based monitoring with rapid response teams of women security personnel.
Stone-pelting on trains was flagged as a serious concern. Recommended responses include special patrols in sensitive zones, improved surveillance, strict action against offenders, youth-focused awareness campaigns and stronger RPF-GRP coordination. Officials believe community awareness and preventive measures can play a vital role in preventing these incidents.
Central Railway's Pune Division shared information on Project Disha, an initiative committed to safety, harmony and awareness. It connects children living near railway tracks with education, recreation, safety awareness and community activities.
The project involves non-governmental organisations, National Service Scheme volunteers and local communities. Its goal is to raise awareness of railway safety and discourage harmful activities such as stone-pelting, theft and illegal track crossing.
The Ministry of Railways believes that, with the number of travellers rising during the festive season, such coordinated and technology-enabled security arrangements will make rail journeys safer and more convenient.