New Delhi: Noting the heavy passenger rush at railway stations, Delhi High Court has directed senior railway officials and police officers to review crowd-management arrangements before every event expected to witness a large footfall.“Considering that the daily footfall at the station went up to 3,29,527 passengers on 24.10.2025, this court is of the view that the measures must be monitored and recorded for every crowded event,” Justice Amit Mahajan observed while hearing petitions arising from the 2025 New Delhi Railway Station stampede, in which 18 people died and 15 were injured.Stressing the need for authorities to adhere to the SOP framed after the tragedy, the court said a senior officer nominated by Railways must, at least a week before any such event, review the arrangements in coordination with Delhi Police and other agencies concerned.“The said officer shall prepare a written report recording the arrangements made and the steps taken for the event. The report and the connected records shall be properly maintained and kept ready, so that they can be produced before the appropriate authority or court if any untoward incident takes place,” the court directed.The high court noted that the 2025 stampede showed that the effectiveness of any SOP ultimately depended on its implementation on the ground before and during crowded events. It added that accountability must be fixed and proper records maintained of the measures taken in each case.The petitioners, represented by advocate Siddharth Dutta, submitted that they had booked tickets on the Magadh Express from New Delhi to Prayagraj on the day of the stampede and had reached the station well in time but could not board the train because of the crowd.They said they were present at the station when the stampede occurred on a foot overbridge.Alleging failure on the part of Railways and other authorities in managing the crowd, the petitioners said they not only missed their train but were also exposed to the stampede.The plea sought directions for a comprehensive SOP on crowd management at railway stations and stressed that the rules must be implemented in practice and not remain confined to paper.
