In a report published in The Hindu on December 13, 2023, the newspaper highlighted how Indian Railways is increasing the number of 1st AC coaches in its trains at the expense of reducing Sleeper and 2nd AC coaches. Historically, freight services have generally been profitable, while passenger services have incurred losses. With a legacy of 163 years, Indian Railways has had ample time to become a profitable enterprise. It carries about 24 million passengers per day, making it the most extensive daily transportation provider in India. The railways’ online ticketing arm, IRCTC, books one million tickets within a few hours. Yet, Indian Railways’ passenger services have been loss-making for five consecutive years—except for AC three-tier and AC chair-car services. Its Operating Ratio (OR)—which measures the amount spent to earn ₹100—rose to ₹107.39 in FY22, partly due to the drop in passenger travel during the pandemic. However, the ratio was not markedly better either before or after the pandemic; it stood at ₹90 in FY15 and at ₹98 in FY23. Given the losses in almost all classes of passenger service—except AC 3-tier—the decision was made to reduce the number of Sleeper coaches and add more AC coaches in an attempt to garner additional revenue or at least mitigate losses.


The seating capacity of a general coach is, on average, 100 passengers, while non-AC Sleeper and 3-tier AC coaches each accommodate 72 passengers. In contrast, a 2-tier AC coach can accommodate 48 passengers. If two general coaches are replaced by AC coaches, around 5,000 to 6,000 passengers per train could be affected monthly. According to official records, the number of AC coaches in trains has increased by 9.8% over the last decade, while the counts for Sleeper and Second classes have decreased by 2.8% and 6.6%, respectively. Similarly, the share of passengers traveling in 2nd class has dropped from 85.3% to 76.6% compared to a decade ago. For the record, Indian Railways earned a ₹65 crore profit from AC-3 tickets in 2019–20, while incurring losses of ₹16,000 crore and ₹14,000 crore from Sleeper and 2nd classes, respectively. During the COVID period (2020–21), losses from AC-3 class journeys were ₹6,500 crore, while losses from Sleeper and 2nd classes surged to ₹20,000 and ₹17,000 crore. For the economically disadvantaged, trains remain the most viable mode of transport. Asia Times notes that 99% of rail travelers come from poor and middle-income backgrounds. Thus, by upgrading coaches to cater only to those who can pay more, Indian Railways directly impacts the mobility of more than 99% of its commuters.


Due to the reduction in Sleeper and general class coaches, videos of crowds entering reserved coaches have been circulating online. The share of passengers traveling without a ticket has been increasing, and even those with a ticket now face uncertainty about securing the seat they paid for. Although the dire state of commuters has been brought to the attention of Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, little has been done to alleviate their plight. In recent days, videos have gone viral showing commuters – reportedly traveling to Prayagraj – smashing train windows and doors to force their way inside. Despite this chaos, the government insists it was caught off guard by the sudden surge in crowds on Saturday.


Given the extensive advertising for the Maha Kumbh, a huge crowd was expected to reach Prayagraj. As covered in a previous article, the government fell short of providing adequate facilities for low- and middle-income citizens, allegedly leading to the death of more than 80 people. While Chief Minister Adityanath proclaimed that the arrangements for the Kumbh were sufficient to handle visits from more than 100 crore people, it was also expected that the Central Government and its Ministries, would ensure that the routes taken by devotees could handle the crowd. However, just days after winning another election in Delhi, the “double engine” government failed to deliver. Its incompetence and lack of empathy have now led to the death of another 18 people, this time at New Delhi’s train station.


Three trains were scheduled to travel to Prayagraj on Saturday: the Prayagraj Special train, Bhuvaneshwar Rajdhani, and Swatantra Sainani Express. Of these, Bhuvaneshwar Rajdhani and Swatantra Sainani Express were running late. Commuters for all three trains were gathered on Platform 14; however, when the Prayagraj Special arrived, it stopped at Platform 16. This misdirection led to a rush among commuters originally waiting for that train. When the announcement was made, commuters waiting in the ticket line rushed toward the train without tickets. Moreover, people began boarding any train headed to Prayagraj as rumors spread that the trains at the station were the last for the day.


Proponents of the government have been quick to shift blame onto commuters, arguing that ensuring safe travel is the travelers’ responsibility rather than the government’s—either morally or operationally. They claim that a lack of discipline, rather than poor planning, is to blame for the alleged collective deaths of more than 100 people. However, such arguments not only reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the mismanagement of the government or the railways and the drastic cost cutting measures it has undertaken – but also expose a striking absence of empathy. Multiple news outlets reported that the railways were issuing about 1,500 tickets per hour for general and unreserved compartments to travel to Maha Kumbh—a figure that far exceeds the trains’ seating capacity. This further exacerbated the chaos as thousands of devotees made way to the railway station.  According to sources familiar with the matter, the crowd had been growing at the station over the past two weekends, with a major portion of travelers heading toward Prayagraj. Despite this spike, which peaked on Saturday, neither the Railway Ministry nor the State Government set up a control room at the station. While some events may be unexpected and beyond the government’s control, it is deplorable that no control room was established at the New Delhi train station to counter rumors and deploy personnel for crowd dispersal when needed. An eyewitness told The Lallantop that there were only one or two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel on the platforms to manage a crowd of thousands, with some platforms reportedly unmanned. A commuter told ANI, “There was no one to control the crowd. It was announced that the train coming on Platform 12 would arrive on Platform 16. So, the crowd converged from both sides and a stampede occurred. Some people were taken to the hospital.” Moreover, due to the large crowd, many people started feeling suffocated and eventually fainted, exacerbating the chaos.


Videos from the night of February 15, 2024—when the incident occurred—show that the crowd began gathering on the platform from 5 PM. The incident supposedly took place between 8 and 9:30 PM, and according to a tweet from ANI, the deceased were taken to the hospital by 10:30 PM. However, at 11:36 PM, the Railways Minister took to X (formerly Twitter) to claim that the situation was under control and that all injured and deceased individuals had been taken to the hospital, omitting any mention of the fatalities. ANI released another tweet at 11 PM quoting the CPRO of Northern Railways, who asserted that there was no stampede at New Delhi Railway Station and that Northern Railways was running two special trains for Prayagraj.


Since Delhi recently elected a new government and a new Chief Minister has yet to be sworn in, the current affairs of the union territory fall under the purview of Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. The Lt. Governor initially acknowledged the tragedy via tweet and expressed his condolences, but approximately half an hour later, he edited his tweet to remove any mention of “stampede” or “loss of lives.” A cover-up appeared to be in progress. Studies in emergency management and crowd dynamics (Helbing et al.) show that acknowledging a rapidly evolving crisis is critical. Denial or minimization can delay crucial interventions such as crowd control measures, emergency evacuations, and medical aid. The longer responders take to act, the higher the risk of additional injuries or fatalities. Moreover, research on crisis communication indicates that clear, honest information is essential for maintaining public trust and ensuring that people follow safety guidelines. Denial can lead to a “false sense of security,” causing individuals to ignore important safety instructions, thereby worsening the situation.


To prevent further media revelations, the government has deployed more CRPF and paramilitary forces at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain (LNJP) Hospital than it did at the railway station. Hundreds of paramilitary personnel have been deployed, and the entry and exit gates have been sealed, denying access to everyone except medical staff. A reporter from Dainik Bhaskar released a video claiming that media personnel were being barred from entering the hospital or speaking with victims per directives. Business Standard, in its report dated February 16, 2025, revealed the extent of security in place at the hospital. According to the report, security checks are being conducted at every ward and only one person is allowed to enter at a time. Patients are being accompanied by either four police personnel or medical staff to prevent unauthorized contact.
The government’s repeated failures in crowd management and transparent communication reveal a troubling pattern of incompetence and dishonesty. Instead of taking responsibility and addressing systemic issues, authorities have resorted to cover-ups and shifting blame onto the very citizens they are meant to serve. As concerned citizens, we sincerely request the government to be transparent about the arrangements made for all devotees at the Maha Kumbh. If the government shares statistics transparently, people will be better able to manage their expectations. We also urge the government to reduce its emphasis on advertising, which further incites devotees to risk their lives traveling to Prayagraj.


Sources:


1. The India Railway’s revenue problem – The Hindu, December 13th, 2023

   2. Only AC-3 tier earned Railways profit: CAG Report – The Tribune, December 23rd, 2021
3. New Delhi stampede: Tight security, barricades at Lok Nayak hospital – Business Standard, February 16th, 2025
4. X.com – @AshwiniVaishnaw, @ANI