Passengers at the New Delhi railway station a day after the stampede. (Express photo by Amit Mehra)
Feb 17, 2025 20:00 IST First published on: Feb 17, 2025 at 20:00 IST
Until February 14, the efforts of the Northern Railway to transport millions of pilgrims to and from the Maha Kumbh stood out. On the five main bathing days during the Kumbh and Maha Kumbh, railways officials need to put in extra effort. This year too, special arrangements were made for the Paush Purnima on January 13, Makar Sankranti on January 15, Mauni Amavasya on January 29, Basant Panchami on February 3 and Maghi Purnima on February 12. The focus was now on the arrangements for the last main snan on Mahashivratri.
On February 15, it was perhaps expected that the passenger rush would be handled with a combination of special and regular trains destined for Prayagraj and Purvanchal. The majority of the pilgrims and passengers — many of them did not have a reservation — started reaching the New Delhi Railway Station much before the scheduled departure of the trains they were taking. Apparently, they blocked the platforms from the afternoon. The swelling number of passengers choked the island platforms, escalators and even the foot over bridge. This unprecedented influx of passengers was not in sync with the carrying capacity of the trains already on platforms and those expected to be placed thereafter.
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The unfortunate stampede that took place around 9 pm left 18 passengers dead and many injured. It is perhaps one of the major incidents of stampede in the history of Indian Railways.
The Railways has set up a two-member committee to investigate the cause of the tragedy, fix responsibility and recommend measures to avoid the recurrence of such incidents. In many ways, the stampede is similar to the one that occurred at Maha Kumbh last month. A Judicial Commission is investigating that tragedy. These probes will throw light into what went wrong. Any speculation at this stage is uncalled for.
There are several reasons for stampedes. But a stampede in a controlled, managed and ticketed area like a railway station requires a thorough investigation and fixing of accountability. Two aspects need investigation – the overwhelming number of passengers and the crowd management measures in place. The unprecedented surges in numbers of passengers and those on platforms can be controlled by restricting the sale of tickets, blocking entry gates and making holding/waiting areas for passengers. These measures are already in place at several stations around Prayagraj. If excessive overcrowding happens on narrow island platforms, the only outlet is a train from that platform. It can be argued that New Delhi Railway Station handles around 4 lakh regular passengers daily with a few hundred trains and, therefore, creating separate holding areas and reserving a few platforms for Maha Kumbh Specials may not be feasible. The departmental inquiry committee is expected to look into all aspects that led to the stampede and the unfortunate loss of lives.
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Incidents of stampede due to overcrowding have happened in the past at railway stations, during other festivals and rush seasons. Some of these have resulted in the unfortunate loss of lives. The Railway Accident Manual is an elaborate document that defines all types of “train accidents” and “incidents”. As per the broad Railway definition, an accident is the one that necessarily involves a train. The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) may hold an enquiry only in an accident of a train carrying passengers under Section 114 of the Railways Act. Therefore, even such major incidents are not under the CRS’s ambit.
It’s time that the Railway Ministry considers amending the Act and bringing such stampede incidents within the CRS’s purview. The Railways could, at least, consider amending the Accident Manual to categorise incidents of stampedes where lives have been lost as a serious accident.
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The incident is a wake-up call for the Railways to focus on the well-being and safety of the common passengers who cannot afford reservations. Their demands for ordinary second-class trains during festive seasons must be met. Major stations must have airport-like access control and many more satellite stations need to be developed around major cities to decongest central terminals.
This tragic incident must be taken seriously. The Indian Railways has a history of making excellent arrangements to enable millions of passengers travel to the Maha Kumbh and other major gatherings. It must continue to do so. The trust of over 2 crore passengers who travel by trains daily is one of its most critical responsibilities
The writer is a distinguished fellow at CRF and Former Member Traffic Railway Board
