Ahmedabad: With passenger numbers expected to surge during Diwali and Chhath Puja, Ahmedabad railway division has put in place elaborate arrangements for crowd management and passenger safety at Ahmedabad, Sabarmati and Asarwa stations.More than 70 special train trips are being operated to cater to the festive rush, particularly towards Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. Additional coaches have also been attached to several regular trains to accommodate more passengers.Divisional railway manager Ved Prakash said 110 additional Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel had been deployed across the three stations: 55 at Ahmedabad, 40 at Sabarmati and 15 at Asarwa. An additional company of the Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) has also been deployed at Ahmedabad station.The three stations will have round-the-clock monitoring, with holding areas created to regulate passenger movement and ensure orderly boarding. Reserved and unreserved passengers will be managed separately, while women, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and passengers travelling with children will receive priority.Ahmedabad station has 119 CCTV cameras, and Sabarmati has 121, with 60 additional cameras proposed. Plainclothes RPF personnel have also been deployed to prevent passenger-related crimes. Public address announcements will guide passengers on safety precautions and orderly boarding.
