The Rail India Economic and Technical Service (RITES) will carry out detailed studies of major suburban railway stations and long-distance terminals in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra to prepare customized crowd management plans aimed at improving safety and comfort of passengers, officials said.
“With the number of passengers increasing steadily, systematic crowd management has become critical for safety and smooth operations. These studies will help us redesign station layouts and movement patterns in a more scientific manner,” said a senior Central Railway official.
In the first phase, between five and seven of the busiest suburban stations in Bombayincluding Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminal (CSMT)Bandra, Kurla and Prabhadevi will be covered. Important stations in Pune and Nashik will also be included in the exercise. The surveys will be carried out at stations under the jurisdictions of Central and Western Railway.
“The aim is to understand the unique challenges of each station and prepare crowd management plans accordingly, rather than applying a uniform model everywhere,” said a senior Central Railway official.
The surveys will involve a comprehensive assessment of passenger movement and infrastructure during peak and off-peak hours. Officials said the study will map passenger flow, train arrival and departure times, capacity of platforms, stairs, pedestrian bridges, escalators, elevators, ticket counters and entry and exit routes. The location of the stations, particularly their proximity to shopping centres, financial districts and busy road junctions, will also be taken into account when formulating the plans.
The entire exercise will likely take several months to complete. Each station survey is estimated to cost nearly ₹40 lakh, a senior Western Railway official said, adding that the expense would be met as part of the railways’ passenger facilitation and safety initiatives.
Based on the findings, the railways will prepare recommendations to improve crowd management and passenger amenities.