Railways gear up for festival rush
Hyderabad: With Dasara, Diwali and Chhath expected to draw heavy passenger traffic between September 19 and October 28, the Secunderabad and Hyderabad railway divisions have drawn up an action plan to ensure crowd safety.
A coordination meeting was held on Wednesday at Sanchalan Bhavan, chaired by divisional railway managers Dr R. Gopalakrishnan (Secunderabad) and Santosh Verma (Hyderabad). Senior officials from RPF, GRP, local police, traffic police and TSRTC participated.
The review focused on law and order, passenger safety and congestion at major stations including Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Cherlapalli, Lingampalli and Kacheguda. Concerns flagged included snatching, pickpocketing, unauthorised entry, overcrowding on foot overbridges, and stampede-like risks.
As part of the plan, RPF and GRP will intensify patrolling, frisking and anti-sabotage checks. Local police will assist in dispersing crowds and handling emergencies. Traffic police will regulate vehicle flow, streamline auto, cab and bus lanes, and clear bottlenecks. TSRTC will run additional bus services during peak hours and late nights to ease congestion.
Officials stressed that inter-agency coordination would be crucial for safe and smooth travel for lakhs of passengers during the festive season.
