The Indian Railways on Monday (April 22) informed that over 41 crore people traveled by train until April 21, highlighting the strain on its operations and passenger services.
“Indian Railways has carried 41.16 Crores passengers during April 1- 21. The last weekend — April 20 and 21 — witnessed 3.38 crores passengers taking train journeys to different destinations. This made the last week among the busiest ones with a total of 13.69 crores passengers travelling by train,” a senior railway official said.
Record number of additional train trips
The Indian Railways had previously announced its efforts to operate a record number of additional train trips in its summer schedule, which would be 43 per cent more compared to last year.
“Indian Railways has taken elaborate measures to deal with the steep rise in the number of train passengers due to summer breaks by introducing special trains and improving amenities at the station. Zonal Railways have been instructed to ensure the availability of drinking water at Railway stations,” the official said.
Crowd control arrangements at stations
The railway official also informed that extensive crowd control measures have been put in place at major railway stations, with senior officers overseeing activities and managing crowds in an orderly manner.
The Railway Board has directed the Railway Protection Force (RPF) to assign an adequate workforce at starting stations to maintain a ‘Queue system’ for General Class coach entry.
Real-time assistance to passengers
Senior RPF officials mentioned that skilled RPF personnel have been deployed in CCTV Control Rooms to monitor crowded areas closely and provide real-time assistance to passengers.
“To regulate crowds smoothly and avoid stampede-like situations during heavy rush periods, Government Railway Police (GRP) and RPF staff are deployed at foot-over bridges,” the RPF official said.
“Additional help desks and counters have been set up to assist passengers with their inquiries,” he added.
Additionally, senior officials overseeing passenger services stated that the Railway Board is continuously monitoring the situation and making arrangements as per demand.