Bandra stampede: Railways takes measures to curb rush

Central and Western Railway take measures to control festival crowd after stampede, including new waiting area and increased security.

A day after 10 persons were injured in a stampede at the Bandra Terminus station in Mumbai, the Central Railway and the Western Railway made arrangements to control the festival crowd.

Two persons, who were gravely injured on Sunday (October 27, 2024), continue to remain critical and on oxygen support.

On Monday (October 28, 2024), Western Railway erected a 370 sqm. waiting area at the Bandra Terminus that can accommodate 550 to 600 passengers. The area has lights, ventilation and toilet blocks. “A public announcement system is available inside the holding area, which will keep waiting passengers updated about train movements,” a railway official said.

To manage the rush, especially in general and sleeper coaches of trains heading towards the northern States, Western Railway has deployed additional personnel of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP). “The plainclothes Crime Prevention and Detection Squad teams from the RPF and GRP are actively patrolling the stations to keep a watch on any suspicious activity and to prevent theft,” an official said.

Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, Vineet Abhishek, said, “This year, Western Railway is running 200 special trains during the festive season of Diwali and Chhath Pooja. This is being monitored at divisional and headquarters levels, and a waiting list of trains is monitored daily on a real-time basis.”

After the incident, Western Railway imposed temporary restrictions on the sale of platform tickets at select stations on the Mumbai Division with immediate effect till November 8.