NEW DELHI: Around 80 passenger trains will be kept on standby to cater to sudden surge in passengers at 60 identified stations which see high footfall on festive occasions such as Holi, Chhath and Diwali, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Replying to the debate on Railways (Amendment) Bill, Vaishnaw said a detailed roadmap has been prepared for crowd management. “We have taken the tough decision to sell tickets as per the number of seats in trains so that there is no crowding. Besides, to meet the demand, around 80 special trains will be kept at nearby locations of these 60 stations so that in case of sudden surge in passengers these can be used to transport people,” he added.
The Rajya Sabha passed the bill that aims at streamlining and modernising railway operations in India. Lok Sabha passed it in December.
Responding to charges of opposition members with regard to train accidents and recent stampede at New Delhi station, Vaishnaw said govt has been taking several steps to prevent such mishaps. He also mentioned the expansion of the railway network, renewal of tracks, installation of Kavach (anti-collision system for trains) and recruitment of manpower.
Taking on Congress leader Vivek Tankha for his barb that the PM gave the responsibility of railways to someone with a bureaucratic mindset and not that of a minister, Vaishnaw said, “He (Tankha) was saying that a bureaucrat has been given the task. Yes I admit that I am a technocrat and bureaucrat, but there is no lack of commitment; nothing less than any other leader. If you see any lack of commitment, then raise your finger, else you have no right to do so.”
Congress MP had claimed that everything in the railways is minister-driven. Talking about the 18 deaths at New Delhi station during a stampede, he said, “I am not asking for anybody’s resignation but some of the earlier ministers did resign,” as he took names of some former railway ministers who had quit after train accidents.
Vaishnaw also rejected the allegations made by RJD’s Manoj Kumar Jha that the CCTV cameras were switched off at the New Delhi station to hide the details of the incident. “I outrightly reject that CCTV cameras were switched off. I have seen the CCTV footage myself.”