New Delhi : The Railways has made a comprehensive security arrangement at major stations in view of Holi festival. Crowd management is being prioritised to ensure smooth and comfortable travel to the passengers.

According to Ministry of Railways, crowd controlling measures by forming queue at the terminus stations under the supervision of Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel for orderly entry of passengers in unreserved coaches is being ensured.

Additional RPF personnel have been deployed at major stations to ensure security of passengers. The officers are deployed on Emergency Duty at stations to ensure smooth running of trains. Staff are deployed in various sections to attend any disruption of train service on priority, Ministry of Railways said.

For the crowd management, co-ordination is being made with all concerned Railway departments, G.R.P and Civil Police to prevent any untoward incidents and for smooth operation of trains. RPF Intelligence Units are in regular contact with concerned State and Central Intelligence, Northern Railway officials pointed out.

Explaining about the arrangements, Railway officials informed that agency to collect reliable inputs on real time basis. Escorting of important passenger trains is being done and to maintain alertness of escorting staff surprise check in these trains done by Senior officers. Anti sabotage check with sniffer dogs and joint checking with GRP and Civil Police is being done. Special Awareness campaigns regarding not to throw balloons, color, stone and other stuff on trains and passengers are being organized by social media handles.

A Senior Railway official told ETV Bharat, "Around 200 female RPF officials are involved in either escorting Ladies Trains or Platform duties to ensure the proper safety of women."

Teams of commercial and Vigilance Inspectors, RPF and Police staff have been deputed at reservation offices for keeping surveillance over the activities of touts and anti-social elements, officials of Northern Railway said.

Additional Ticket Checking staff are manning the reserved coaches and conduct thorough checking of prescribed ID proofs of passengers undertaking journey in reserved coaches. Sufficient number of Scouts & Guides and volunteers of Civil Defence are available in addition to the security personnel at the railway stations. "These staff will manage the crowd of the passengers at the platform and foot-over-bridges," Railways said.

To keep the extra vigil on anti social elements, scanning machines and metal detectors have also been put at strategic places and entry gates of major stations. For the convenience of senior citizens, it is being ensured that adequate number of wheel chairs in workable condition are available.

Northern Railway is running the Holi special trains to various places. For the convenience of rail passengers and to clear extra rush during ensuing Holi festival, Northern Railway will run several Holi special trains, Deepak Kumar, Chief Public Relations Officer, recently said.

Trains have been planned to connect major destinations across the country on railway routes including Delhi- Patna, Delhi- Bhagalpur, Delhi-Muzaffarpur, Delhi-Saharsa, Gorakhpur- Mumbai, Kolkata-Puri, Guwahati- Ranchi, New Delhi- Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Jaipur- Bandra Terminus, Pune- Danapur, Durg-Patna and Barauni-Surat.