Mumbai: As thousands of devotees prepare to make their way to the iconic Ganpati pandals of Lalbaug, Ganesh Galli and Chintamani, the railways are bracing for one of the biggest crowd-management challenges of the festival. Central Railway has drawn up a special security and passenger-management plan for key stations, with 219 additional RPF personnel, more than 200 commercial and operating staff and round-the-clock monitoring at stations likely to see a surge in footfall.
The pressure is expected to be particularly high at Chinchpokli, Currey Road and Dadar, which serve as important access points for devotees visiting the Lalbaug belt. To prevent crowds from spilling onto platforms and creating dangerous bottlenecks, railway staff will use speakers, ropes and barricades to regulate passenger movement. Wireless communication will also be used to maintain coordination between teams on the ground. Additional ticket-checking staff will remain deployed through the day and night to manage passengers and prevent crowding around ticket counters.
Central Railway will deploy the additional RPF personnel at key stations including Byculla, Dadar, Panvel, Thane, Chinchpokli and Currey Road, over and above the existing security arrangement. More than 150 commercial staff and 50 operating staff will assist passengers, while teams will also promote digital ticketing and guide commuters on using the UTS mobile app. At CSMT, Dadar, LTT, Thane and Panvel, ticket-checking personnel and railway officers will keep a continuous watch on passenger movement, particularly at peak hours.
The security net will also extend to Western Railway. The WR RPF currently has around 800 personnel, with 250 personnel deployed in Mumbai, and will receive 80 additional personnel from Surat during the festival period. The force will work in close coordination with the Government Railway Police (GRP) to manage crowds and respond to emergencies.
For the railways, the challenge is not merely handling numbers but preventing a sudden rush at narrow platforms, foot overbridges, staircases and station exits. With devotees travelling late into the night for darshan, authorities are preparing for sustained pressure rather than a short peak. The round-the-clock deployment is aimed at ensuring that the journey to Mumbai's famous Ganpati pandals does not turn into a dangerous crush at the city's railway stations.
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