A day after the tragic incident of stampede at Surat Railway Station killing one amidst the surge in number of passengers during the ongoing festive season, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Eastern Railway have enhanced the security arrangements at various stations.
Following festivals of Diwali and Chhath Puja, there has been a significant increase in the number of passengers travelling to their hometowns, according to the Eastern Railway. Four focus stations of the ER including Howrah, Sealdah, Kolkata, Barasat, and Asansol are said to be experiencing a considerable rise in passenger count during the festive period.
”Given the rise in footfall, the Eastern Railway RPF has partnered with the government railway police (GRP) and various sister departments to streamline the boarding process.
Aiming to prevent overcrowding and efficiently manage the rush, a special queue system has been introduced by the Railways for safe boarding, particularly for Bihar and Uttar Pradesh bound trains, where passenger density is higher. Even the Sealdah Division of the ER, has adopted crowd management strategies at key stations like Sealdah, Naihati, Barasat, and Madhyamgram.
The division has deployed additional staff at the specified stations to manage crowds efficiently along with additional personnel at key points to guide passengers, answer queries, and ensure a smooth flow of foot traffic. Additional security personnel have been deployed at strategic locations within the stations to guide passengers, manage queues, special monitoring through CCTV and provide assistance as needed.
Furthermore, the Eastern Railway has kept its medical teams on high alert for quick response and handling of any emergencies with the help of first aid booths and ambulances. Meanwhile, the Eastern Railway is maintaining a strict vigil in its four divisions namely Sealdah, Howrah, As an sol and Malda to keep a check on the passengers travelling with inflammable articles like firecrackers, petrol, gas cylinders and so on. The Sealdah Division has also launched a special campaign during Diwali, to sensitise passengers and the public against carrying inflammable items while traveling by train. Vigilance is being maintained by the Railway staff, officers, including RPF, travelling ticket examiners (TTE), ticket collectors, coach attendants, train managers, and station managers.