Ahmedabad railway authorities have activated a 24×7 war room to monitor and manage rising passenger crowds at Kalupur and Sabarmati stations during the Diwali and Chhath travel period, using CCTV feeds to coordinate rapid responses with the Railway Protection Force and station staff.
The facility has been established at the control building of the Divisional Railway Manager’s office. From there, railway officials are continuously monitoring passenger movement and crowd conditions at both stations in real time. The arrangement is intended to prevent overcrowding and avoid situations that could lead to disorder or passenger distress.
Where CCTV monitoring indicates excessive crowding or inconvenience, the war room is directing RPF personnel and other railway employees to take immediate action. The system allows officials at the two stations to coordinate with the control room rather than relying only on reports from platform-level staff.
The Ahmedabad divisional DRM inspected the war room and reviewed the arrangements for passenger safety and crowd management. During the inspection, officials briefed the DRM on CCTV-based surveillance, passenger movement on platforms, designated holding areas and the system for ensuring that passengers board trains in an orderly manner.
The holding areas are being used to regulate the movement of passengers towards platforms and train coaches when numbers increase. Railway staff are also monitoring the movement of passengers when trains arrive, the transfer of people from holding areas to coaches and crowd conditions on platforms.
The control room is expected to play a key role when passenger numbers rise sharply before the arrival or departure of trains. The railway division has instructed officials to coordinate immediately through the war room if crowding or passenger inconvenience develops at either station.
Passenger information is being provided through electronic display boards, public announcement systems and social media. These channels are being used to communicate details about special trains, timetables and available facilities. Railway officials are also monitoring train operations and punctuality as part of the festival-period arrangements.
The measures come as passengers travel from Ahmedabad towards their hometowns for Diwali and Chhath Puja. Kalupur and Sabarmati are among the city’s key railway stations, making real-time coordination important during periods when passenger volumes increase beyond regular operating levels. The railway division’s current arrangement will remain focused on surveillance, communication and prompt intervention during the festival travel rush.
