Surat – To tackle the annual surge in passenger traffic during the summer holidays, Western Railway has adopted advanced drone surveillance technology to enhance crowd management and ensure passenger safety at Surat and Udhna railway stations. Following a successful trial run at Udhna station, authorities have now extended drone-based monitoring operations for the next two months.
Each year, the summer season and festival periods witness a massive influx of passengers from Gujarat travelling back to their native states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Odisha. With over 10,000 passengers passing through Udhna station on peak days, the resulting overcrowding often leads to chaos and severe inconvenience for travelers. To mitigate these challenges, drone technology has been introduced as a strategic solution.
As per agency report, the pilot project conducted at Udhna station delivered promising results, prompting railway authorities to implement daily drone surveillance between 4:00 am and 12:00 noon. The coverage includes key areas such as platforms, station entrances, circulation areas, and foot over bridges, offering a bird’s-eye view of crowd dynamics and movement patterns.
This initiative is being jointly monitored by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP), in collaboration with Instagreen Technology. A Central Monitoring Unit has been set up at the station to oversee real-time footage captured by the drones, enabling faster decision-making and immediate response to any untoward incident.
The primary goals of this surveillance system are to assess real-time crowd conditions, prevent disorder through proactive action, identify potential security threats, and pay special attention to unreserved trains such as the Tapti Ganga Express and Antyodaya Express, which are known to experience heavy rush during this season.
Railway officials believe that this tech-enabled initiative could revolutionize station management in the long run, making railway premises more orderly, secure, and responsive to passenger needs.
