Railway authorities in Mysuru division said the measures taken during the recent Dasara and Deepavali festival season have set a new benchmark in crowd management, safety and passenger facilitation.
Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Divisional Railway Director Mudit Mittal said that the coordinated efforts of all departments ensured flawless operation without incident during the festival rush. This was due to the introduction of new initiatives such as the creation of 700 m long aprons at Mysuru station, which allowed proper regulation of the entry of passengers to the platform in batches and prevented overcrowding, Mr. Mittal said.
Besides, as many as 54 special trains were run during the season and on Vijayadashmi day alone, the number of passengers at Mysuru station was 1.06 lakh against the normal passenger traffic of between 30,000 and 40,000, he added.
To ensure enhanced security, 91 CCTV surveillance cameras have been installed and additional RPF personnel have been called into duty. Mr. Mittal said that for the first time, emergency control rooms with live CCTV cameras have been set up at platforms 1 and 6 to enable real-time coordination and quick decision-making. Joint teams monitored passenger flow at critical points through live CCTV streaming, ensuring crowd control and smooth movement, Mr. Mittal said.
To meet any emergency, health kiosks have been set up and ambulances have been stationed at platforms 1 and 6 to ensure round-the-clock medical assistance in case of any emergency, he said.
In an effort to avoid overcrowding at the ticket counters and reduce waiting times, pre-printed tickets were used, in addition to the introduction of 17 additional ticket counters to help relieve booking areas. This was in addition to promoting digital ticketing by setting up three automatic ticket vending machines and four mobile unreserved dispensing units, Mr. Mittal said.
The promotion of the Unreserved Ticketing System on the mobile app has led to a significant increase in unreserved ticket sales and reduced counter congestion while enabling digital adoption, officials said.
J. Lohiteshwar, Divisional Chief Commercial Officer, and Girish Dharmaraj Kalakunda, Divisional Commercial Director, among others, were present.
Published – 23 October 2025 20:35 IST
