3 min readNew DelhiFeb 18, 2025 08:27 AM IST
First published on: Feb 18, 2025 at 05:25 AM IST
Two days after 18 people were killed in a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) Monday set up a separate enclosure for general passengers travelling to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh Mela.
The enclosure, a waiting area demarcated by bamboo bars, is in a corner of Platform 16 and can hold around 800 people. The entry and exit points are manned by over a dozen RPF personnel while a company of RAF (Rapid Action Force) personnel, brought for crowd management at the railway station after the stampede, has been deployed along the periphery.
The RPF looks after passenger safety and railway property at stations. The Government Police is responsible for law and order.
According to a senior RPF official, such enclosures are set up during festival seasons like Holi, Diwali and Chhath Puja to manage the crowd. “This arrangement will continue until the conclusion of the Maha Kumbh on February 27,” the officer said, adding, “If necessary, more such enclosures may be set up in the coming days.”
He said since the Railways has designated Platform 16 for special trains going towards Prayagraj, the enclosure has been set up close to it, to ease the pressure of the crowd on the platform. Passengers are allowed onto the platform only when the special train is ready for departure.
Every day, three-four special trains — for passengers holding general tickets, primarily attending the Maha Kumbh — go to Prayagraj from New Delhi Railway station, the officer added.
Sitting in the enclosure, Desh Raj, from Delhi’s Wazirpur, said he was heading to Prayagraj for a holy dip at the Maha Kumbh. “I have a general ticket. They are saying my train will leave at 5 pm, till then I’ll be here.”
According to police estimates, the New Delhi Railway Station witnesses a daily footfall of 3.5 to 4 lakh. On February 15, the crowd surged to 5 lakh, sources said. A senior police officer said they had not received prior information about the crowd surge on Saturday, else they would have made arrangements earlier.
After the stampede, eight companies of paramilitary forces, including the RAF, were deployed along with additional security personnel from the RPF and Delhi Police to manage the crowd until the conclusion of the Maha Kumbh. They were primarily deployed at platforms 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 — which trains heading to Prayagraj usually originate from.
The enclosure, a waiting area demarcated by bamboo bars, is in a corner of Platform 16 and can hold around 800 people. (Express Photo) 
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