Weeks after stampede at New Delhi railway station, how officials are tackling Holi rush

This tent is part of the measures enforced by railway authorities to prevent crowding in the days approaching Holi, when they expect huge numbers of people to travel back home to other states. Holi is the first big occasion after the February 15 stampede at the station, which killed 18 and left several injured.

Many eyewitnesses had alleged the stampede took place because of “lack of crowd management” at a time when a large number of people were trying to board the Prayagraj-bound trains to attend the Mahakumbh.

Crowd control

The holding area, complete with 19 ticket counters and 11 Automatic Ticket vending machines, as well as an enquiry and announcement booth, has been set up so passengers who have arrived early as well as unreserved passengers, like Solanki’s group, don’t crowd the platforms.

Situated at the end of Platform No. 16, it controls entry to the platform from where special trains have been scheduled to depart. As of March 9, five special trains are being run from the New Delhi station, according to a Railway spokesperson.

There are assistants at every ticket vending machine to help facilitate the booking of tickets, and there is a food stall with water bottles and snacks, too.

At all entry points, there are multiple Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials checking tickets and not allowing ticketless passengers to enter the station. On the foot overbridge, the RPF and the Bharat Scouts and Guides stand at every staircase entrance, not allowing passengers to stop and ensuring there is a continuous flow.

Pradeep Kumar Kushwaha, 40, is waiting for Ranchi Garib Rath with nine of his friends at Platform 14. The platform has been completely cordoned off by officials to prevent the crowd from gathering near the train.

“Vyavastha theek hai idhar… iss platform pe itni bheed nahi hai, kyunki un logo ne pakkad ke rakh rakha hai logo ko. Varna toh maara maari ho jaata (Arrangements are fine here… there is not too much crowd on this platform because they have controlled the crowd, or else there would’ve been too much chaos),” Kushwaha says, with everyone in the group agreeing.

The group of 10 lives together in Delhi’s Sarita Vihar and does odd jobs like cleaning and driving. “Jo bhi kaam mil jaata hai, vo kar lete hai (We take up whatever work we get).”

They are eagerly waiting for their train, which was supposed to depart at 4.10 pm but has been delayed by over two hours. “Bas train aaye bhaiya aur hum ghar jaaye (We just want the train to come so that we can go home),” Kushwaha says.

There is an RPF official stationed at every coach for trains at Platforms 14 and 15 to manage crowds. According to the Railway spokesperson, 72 additional officers and staff, including three Assistant Security Commissioners (ASC) and nine Inspectors, have been deployed at the station.

“Authorities have strengthened surveillance measures with 24×7 monitoring of live feeds from CCTV cameras placed at platforms, foot overbridges, and other high-traffic areas. Additional cameras have been installed to cover previously unmonitored spots. To further enhance safety, officials are using ropes, human chains, and loudspeaker announcements to manage the movement of trains and boarding processes. In case of overcrowding, contingency plans have been put in place, including closing entry points and rerouting passengers to execute evacuation strategies effectively,” the spokesperson said.