Delhi railway stations will have 1,300 additional Railway Protection Force personnel during the Diwali and Chhath travel rush, taking the total RPF deployment at major stations in the capital to 2,040, according to Northern Railway. The enhanced arrangement is intended to protect passengers, control crowds and prevent disruption during the peak period of festival travel.
The additional security has been deployed at Delhi’s major railway stations, with special attention being given to New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Hazrat Nizamuddin and Old Delhi stations. These terminals typically handle some of the heaviest passenger movement during the festive season, when large numbers of people travel from the capital to their hometowns.
Northern Railway said the RPF personnel would remain available around the clock in shifts. Their responsibilities include managing passenger movement, preventing incidents, assisting travellers and maintaining security across station premises. The deployment is also intended to reduce the risk of disorder or stampede-like situations as platforms, concourses and access areas become more crowded.
The railway administration has specifically identified the safety of women and children as part of the enhanced arrangements. RPF personnel are expected to provide immediate assistance to passengers when required and maintain vigilance at locations where crowd pressure is likely to increase during train arrivals and departures.
The security plan places the RPF at the centre of the immediate crowd-management response, but the scale of the deployment also reflects the operational pressure created by seasonal migration from Delhi. Crowding at large terminals can affect more than platform access: it can complicate passenger circulation, delay boarding and make it harder for railway staff to identify unattended items or respond quickly to emergencies.
Northern Railway has asked passengers to follow safety rules and remain alert while travelling. Passengers have been advised to report any unattended object or suspicious activity immediately to RPF personnel stationed at the terminals or through the railway helpline. The appeal is part of the administration’s effort to ensure that passengers also contribute to security during the high-volume travel period.
The four stations receiving particular attention—New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Hazrat Nizamuddin and Old Delhi—serve different passenger flows across the capital’s railway network. Concentrating additional personnel at these terminals allows the railway security apparatus to focus on stations where the festive movement is expected to be most intense. Northern Railway has not provided in the supplied report a station-wise breakdown of the 1,300 additional personnel or a separate timetable for the deployment.
The enhanced security arrangement will remain operational through the Diwali and Chhath travel period, with personnel deployed in shifts to provide continuous coverage. Passengers have been asked to contact the RPF or railway helpline whenever they notice an unattended item or suspicious activity.
