Surat: Taking lessons from last Sunday’s chaos and uncontrolled crowd surge, the Western Railway administration managed the situation efficiently at Udhna railway station this Sunday with tight security arrangements and precise micro-planning.

Compared to around 28,000 passengers recorded on April 19, the footfall dropped to an estimated 17,000 on April 26. Under the direct monitoring of senior railway officials and strict crowd discipline, all passengers were dispatched to their destinations without any untoward incident.

Interestingly, as the crowd thinned after 2 pm, railway authorities were compelled to cancel three special trains due to lower passenger turnout.

Passenger Movement by Trains:

• Udhna–Jaynagar Special (09003): 3,900 passengers
• Udhna–Samastipur Special (09007): 3,600 passengers
• Udhna–Madhubani Special (09167): 1,800 passengers
• Udhna–Brahmapur Amrit Bharat (19021): 1,800 passengers
• Antyodaya Express (22564, Jaynagar): 4,000 passengers
• Tapti Ganga Superfast (19045): 2,300 passengers
• Udhna–Hasanpur Special (09031): 700 passengers
• Udhna–Durgapur Special (09175): 700 passengers

Total estimated passengers: 17,000

Last weekend, on April 19, Udhna station witnessed an overwhelming surge of passengers, exposing serious lapses in crowd management and security arrangements and drawing sharp criticism of the railway administration. In response, this Sunday, authorities from the Mumbai headquarters to local officials remained on high alert.

Separate holding areas and queue systems were set up for passengers travelling to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha. Entry into the station premises and access to platforms were regulated in batches to avoid overcrowding.

Senior railway officials, who are usually stationed in air-conditioned offices, were seen actively supervising arrangements on the platforms, ensuring smooth operations on the ground.

Trains Cancelled Due to Reduced Rush:

• 09021 (Udhna–Samastipur)
• 09041 (Udhna–Jaynagar)
• 09045 (Udhna–Jaynagar)

DeshGujarat