Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Responds
A tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on February 15, 2025, led to the deaths of 18 people and injured 15 others. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw ruled out any conspiracy behind the incident and assured that there was no extraordinary rush at the time. Meanwhile, authorities have strengthened security measures to control crowds and prevent future incidents.
Increased Security Measures After the Stampede
- More security personnel have been deployed at major railway stations.
- Holding areas are being created at 60 stations to manage large crowds.
- CCTV monitoring has been intensified to track movement and prevent overcrowding.
- Authorities are raising awareness among passengers to avoid sitting on stairs to ensure safe movement.
- Additional signboards and announcements will be placed to reduce confusion among travelers.
Investigating the Cause of the Stampede
Police officials visited the railway station on February 17 to collect CCTV footage and investigate the exact cause of the stampede.
- Five of the injured passengers are still being treated in hospitals.
- Survivors have shared their horrifying experiences of being caught in the crowd.
- Railway officials are ensuring that such incidents do not occur again by closely monitoring passenger movement.
- Investigations are being conducted to understand if there were lapses in crowd management.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s Statement
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw spoke about the incident and clarified several key points:
- He stated that there was no sign of any conspiracy behind the stampede.
- There was no unusual rush of passengers at the time of the incident.
- The platform change announcement was not the cause of the stampede.
- A special committee has been set up to investigate the incident in detail.
- He expressed deep grief over the loss of lives and assured that preventive measures would be taken.
What Led to the Stampede?
According to railway officials, the crowd increased due to confusion regarding a train announcement.
- On February 15, the number of unreserved tickets sold between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. was 12,208, slightly higher than the usual 9,600.
- A Prayagraj Special train was scheduled to depart from platform 12 at 7:15 p.m.
- Another special train was planned at the same platform at 8:50 p.m.
- An announcement at 8:30 p.m. for the Prayagraj Special confused some passengers, who thought it was for the Prayagraj Express.
- Many passengers moved from platform 14 to platform 12, creating sudden overcrowding.
- While climbing the stairs, a passenger carrying a heavy load lost balance and fell, causing a chain reaction that resulted in the stampede.
- The lack of proper crowd control barriers may have contributed to the severity of the incident.
Railways’ Plan to Improve Passenger Safety
The Indian Railways is taking several measures to prevent such incidents in the future:
- More crowd management strategies are being developed.
- A new manual for handling large crowds at railway stations is in progress.
- The “war room” at Rail Bhawan will continue live monitoring of passenger movement.
- Learning from previous mistakes, the Railways has successfully managed a large number of passengers during major events.
- In comparison to previous years, more trains have been planned and operated to handle passenger rush effectively.
- Emergency response teams will be placed at major railway stations for quick action during emergencies.
- Railways will conduct periodic safety drills to train staff in handling such situations.
Impact on the Upcoming Elections
With the Delhi CM 2025 elections approaching, political discussions around passenger safety and railway management are gaining attention.
- Political analysts like Gyanesh Kumar believe that public safety concerns can influence voter decisions.
- The opposition may use this incident to question the government’s efficiency in handling railway safety.