New Delhi: A day after the stampede at
New Delhi railway station, Railways have said they are
planning to deploy home guards of Delhi Police at the station
to manage the crowd and prevent such mishaps.
"We are in talks with the Delhi Police and are ready
to foot the bill," said a senior Northern Railway official,
adding, they intend to engage the home guards in Old Delhi and
Hazrat Nizamuddin stations also.
The Home Guards would be roped in during the peak
seasons.
Northern Railway has, meanwhile, decided to open the
third foot-over-bridge at the station from July to ease the
pressure off the existing bridges.
Railways have maintained that the mishap, in which two
persons were killed and eight injured, took place as
passengers tripped on the foot-over-bridge while seeking to
delink it from the last minute change of platforms for Sapt
Kranti and Vikramshila express.
For better crowd management, Northern Railway has
stopped issuing platform tickets from today onwards.
"Civil Defence personnel have also been asked to
ensure no passenger is resting on the foot-over-bridges," said
a Northern Railway spokesperson.
He said the Vikramsheela express, which came late to
New Delhi station by seven hours today, was cleaned at the
platforms itself instead of at the yard for its return journey
in view of the rush.
Senior railway officials were also conducting on the
spot assessment to streamline the crowd and ensure basic
facilities at the station, the spokesperson said.
PTI
First Published: Monday, May 17, 2010, 21:16