Indian Railways: The Ministry of Railways has assigned RITES Limited, a public sector enterprise, the responsibility of constructing permanent waiting rooms at five prominent railway stations: New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Ghaziabad, Varanasi, and Ayodhya. These waiting rooms will be integrated into the Amrit Station Redevelopment Program, which aims to modernize these stations with state-of-the-art passenger amenities.
Announced by the Railway Ministry following a tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station
This initiative was announced by the Railway Ministry following a tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station that resulted in the deaths of 18 passengers and numerous injuries. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav stated, “We have tasked Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) Limited with the design of permanent waiting rooms at these five stations. Once the design is finalized, it will be implemented at 60 of the busiest railway stations.”
Will be established at 60 major stations
Additionally, all unauthorized access points at these stations will be closed. Vaishnav indicated that waiting rooms will also be established at 60 major stations, including New Delhi, Patna, Surat, Bangalore, and Coimbatore, to help manage passenger crowds. Access to the platforms will be regulated based on train departure times to prevent overcrowding at the stations.
He referenced the successful crowd management achieved during the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, where similar waiting rooms were constructed. Furthermore, Vaishnav mentioned that a new manual will be developed to consolidate existing crowd management protocols, along with a standard operating procedure (SOP) to effectively control passenger crowds during festivals and special events.