Mumbai: In a bid to boost passenger safety and streamline crowd management, Western Railway has proposed names of 12 stations to railway board for piloting access control system at stations.
Among the stations shortlisted are major Mumbai hubs like Andheri, Borivali, and Bandra Terminus. The average daily footfall at Andheri station is 417,242; at Borivali station, it is 454,412; and at Bandra Terminus, it is 40,023.
The move comes following a directive from the Railway Board, which has asked all railway zones across the country to identify 10 to 12 high-traffic stations where such systems could be implemented. The push for better crowd control measures follows several past stampede incidents, including a major one at New Delhi Railway Station.
According to sources, it's still in the initial stage, with only a list of names sent to the Railway Board. “If approved and implemented, the system would function much like those used in metro networks—regulating entry and exit points, curbing unauthorized access, and significantly improving station security,” a railway official stated.
In addition to the Mumbai stations, Western Railway’s proposal includes key junctions in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh: Udhana, Surat, Vapi, Ahmedabad, Asarva, Ujjain, Vadodara, Sabarmati, and Sehore.
"The initiative is currently in its preliminary phase, with only station names being submitted to the board. Still, the proposal marks a major step toward modernizing railway infrastructure and enhancing commuter safety at high-footfall locations" further added an official.
