New Delhi: To handle the Diwali and Chhath festival rush, the railway department has made extensive arrangements; 18,000 special trains are being operated, and 700 artificial intelligence cameras have been installed and are being monitored at major railway stations, said Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected the waiting areas for passengers at New Delhi Railway Station.
At that time, he told reporters:
To deal with the heavy passenger congestion that occurs during the Diwali and Chhath festivals, the Ministry of Railways has made extensive arrangements. As part of measures to control crowding, the railway department is operating 18,000 special trains. In addition, it is deploying additional Railway Protection Force personnel and monitoring major railway stations with cameras equipped with artificial intelligence technology.
The minister said that more than 700 AI cameras have been installed at New Delhi Railway Station to monitor passenger movement and manage crowding more effectively.
For the convenience of passengers and to avoid overcrowding at the railway station, separate waiting areas for reserved and unreserved passengers have been set up this year, he said.
Ashwini Vaishnaw said that similar waiting areas have also been set up at several major railway stations across the country that see a large influx of passengers during festive seasons.
132 special trains by Southern Railway
In order to control the passenger crowd during the Diwali festival, Southern Railway is operating 132 special trains. These will make 207 trips. In addition, extra coaches have been attached to 22 express trains, and 8 unreserved electric trains are also being operated for the convenience of passengers on the waiting list.
At major railway stations including Chennai Central, Egmore, Perambur, and Tambaram, in addition to the regular security personnel, 180 Railway Protection Force personnel and 25 retired security force personnel have been deployed on duty.
In addition, police personnel, National Cadet Corps members, and volunteers have also been deployed for security duty.
Additional ticket counters have also been opened at major stations including Chennai Central, Egmore, Tambaram, Madurai, and Tiruchi. To ensure the safety of women on long-distance trains, additional security personnel have also been appointed.