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The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways has recommended that a special focus should be given on improving the crowd management under the government’s Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
The Committee’s observation came at a time when, on February 15, 18 people were killed at New Delhi Railway Station in a stampede. The passengers were trying to board Prayagraj-bound trains for the Maha Kumbh.
The House panel also took note of the slow progress of works under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme and said that a dedicated task force should be established to oversee project timelines.
“The Committee further recommend that the redevelopment of stations under the scheme focus on improving crowd management to prevent any untoward incidents. This should include the provision of multiple and adequately spacious entry/exit points, well-positioned security checkpoints, proper lighting, and clear signage,” said the Standing Committee on Railways in its report on Demands for Grants (2025-26) of the Ministry of Railways, which was presented in the Lok Sabha on March 10.
The Committee also directed the Railways to ensure sufficient deployment of personnel to maintain smooth and efficient passenger movement, so that both safety and convenience can be enhanced.
According to the report, against the target of revamping 453 stations during 2024-25, only one station could be upgraded till December 2024.
“…the Committee desires the Ministry to establish a dedicated task force to oversee project timelines, ensuring regular communication between contractors, local authorities and railway officials to address potential bottlenecks promptly. The Committee also desires the railways to engage with local representatives and concerned State Government early in the planning process to secure necessary clearances and foster a collaborative environment, reducing bureaucratic delays.”
Launched on December 23, 2022, the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme envisages to develop a station as a “city centre”, which will have modern facade, regulated traffic movement, well-lit, aesthetically pleasing grand porches, landscaping, and representation of local art and culture, signages and roof plazas.
According to the Ministry of Railways, a total of 1,337 stations have been identified under the scheme so far and work is in progress at 1,202 stations. The total cost of the project is around Rs 1 lakh crore. However, the Ministry said that there is no specific timeframe for the scheme as the redevelopment of railway stations is complex, which involves passenger and train safety and requires various statutory clearances from urban/local bodies.
According to data from the ministry, around Rs 8,000 crore was spent under the head of “customer amenities” – a category under which the scheme comes – for 2023-24. The expected expenditure target for the current financial year 2024-25 is Rs 12,992 crore.
While most of the project under the scheme is being taken up under Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) mode — a model under which a contractor handles a project from start to finish, the Ministry of Railways said that Rani Kamlapati station (commissioned November 15, 2021) in the state of Madhya Pradesh has been developed under Public Private Partnership (PPP) Model and 15 railway stations are also being explored for development on PPP Mode.
The Committee urged the Ministry to evaluate the success of stations developed under the PPP model, like the Rani Kamlapati station, to identify best practices and potential scalability of the same to other stations while attracting private investment and expertise.
Of the 1,337 identified stations under the scheme, Uttar Pradesh has the most (157). This is followed by Maharashtra (132), West Bengal (101), Bihar (98), Gujarat (87), Rajasthan (85), Madhya Pradesh (80), Tamil Nadu (77), Andhra Pradesh (73), Karnataka (61), Odisha (59), Jharkhand (57) and Assam (50).
