The Delhi High Court has directed the Railways and Delhi Police to review and document crowd-management arrangements at least a week before every event expected to draw large crowds, following the 2025 New Delhi Railway Station stampede that killed 18 people and injured 15.
Justice Amit Mahajan said the arrangements must be monitored and recorded for each crowded event. The direction was issued while the court heard petitions arising from the stampede, which occurred at New Delhi Railway Station during a period of heavy passenger movement.
The court noted that the station’s daily footfall had reached 3,29,527 passengers on October 24, 2025. Referring to the scale of passenger movement, it said the effectiveness of crowd-control measures could not be assessed only through standard operating procedures prepared on paper. The arrangements would need to be reviewed before each high-footfall event and implemented on the ground.
Under the direction, a senior officer nominated by the Railways must review the arrangements in coordination with the Delhi Police and other concerned agencies at least seven days before an event. The officer must prepare a written report recording the arrangements made and the steps taken for managing the expected crowd.
The court further directed that the report and related records be properly maintained and kept ready for production before the appropriate authority or court if an untoward incident occurs. The requirement creates a documented record of decisions taken before a major crowd movement, including the coordination between railway authorities, police and other agencies.
The High Court stressed that accountability must be fixed and that the standard operating procedure prepared after the stampede must be followed. It observed that the tragedy had shown that the effectiveness of any SOP depended on its implementation before and during crowded events, rather than its existence as a written document alone.
The petitions were filed by passengers who had booked tickets on the Magadh Express from New Delhi to Prayagraj on the day of the stampede. They told the court that they had reached the station in time but could not board the train because of the crowd. They also said they were present at the station when the stampede took place on a foot overbridge and alleged that the Railways and other authorities had failed to manage the passenger movement.
The petitioners sought directions for a comprehensive SOP on crowd management at railway stations. They also argued that the rules should be implemented in practice and not remain confined to official records. The court’s latest direction links that demand to a pre-event review, written documentation and the identification of responsible officials.
The order applies to events expected to witness large footfall and requires railway officials to coordinate with Delhi Police and other agencies before such gatherings. The records prepared for each event are to remain available for scrutiny if any untoward incident takes place.
