The tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night, claiming 18 lives, is yet another stark reminder of India’s chronic inability to manage large crowds at transport hubs. While the Kumbh Mela is being cited as the primary reason for the overcrowding, the reality is that such situations are neither new nor unpredictable. The authorities, especially the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and zonal railway officials should have anticipated the surge in passenger numbers and implemented effective crowd control measures. Instead, yet again, we are left mourning lives lost to preventable chaos. The RPF, originally established in 1957 to safeguard railway property, has evolved into a well-trained security force with powers to search, arrest, investigate, and prosecute railway-related crimes. But in today’s context—where railway stations witness massive daily footfalls—it is imperative that their role expands to include crowd regulation. The sheer volume of passengers at major railway junctions, especially during peak travel seasons or religious congregations, demands a structured system of crowd management, yet no such framework exists. Why should a force armed with legal authority and manpower not be entrusted with the crucial task of preventing stampedes?
Stampedes are not random acts of fate; they are predictable and, more importantly, preventable. Large railway stations routinely see multiple trains arriving and departing within minutes of each other. This inevitably leads to bottlenecks at entry and exit points, especially foot overbridges and skywalks. The failure to regulate passenger movement at such choke points is a glaring lapse. Regular station audits, advanced crowd analytics, and a dedicated RPF unit for crowd control should be non-negotiable safety measures, not afterthoughts. Over the last half-decade, Indian Railways has undergone remarkable modernization. Under the leadership of former minister Piyush Goyal and his successor, bureaucrat-turned-minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, stations have been transformed to match world-class standards. Airports and railway terminals now bear striking resemblances, boasting malls, cafeterias, and modern amenities. Yet, for all these upgrades, basic crowd safety remains woefully inadequate. What use are glitzy stations if passengers remain vulnerable to the most rudimentary of hazards? The RPF’s role must go beyond property protection and sabotage investigations. While ensuring railway security remains vital, their presence at major transit points should be refocused on active passenger management. Training modules must be expanded to include real-time crowd regulation, emergency response drills, and station-specific deployment of personnel during high-traffic periods. The implementation of conveyor belts and guided pathways for smoother entry and exit flows could also minimize deadly congestion. As investigations into the Delhi stampede unfold, authorities must resist the usual cycle of blame-shifting and token compensations. The focus must be on actionable reforms—real-time crowd monitoring, better foot traffic regulation, and a proactive RPF presence. Lives should not be lost because of administrative inertia. The question remains: how many more tragedies before railway safety is taken as seriously as railway modernization?
