Vadodara Division’s Active Preparations to Ensure Safe and Organized Festival Travel Amid Growing Passenger Numbers

In view of the expected increase in crowds and passenger movement during upcoming festivals, the Vadodara Division of Western Railway has initiated comprehensive crowd management and passenger facility measures to ensure safe, smooth, and efficient rail operations. Special arrangements have been made at Vadodara and Pratapnagar stations.

According to a press release, a designated passenger holding area has been created at Vadodara station for passenger convenience, providing essential passenger amenities such as seating arrangements, purified drinking water facilities, adequate lighting, fans, and public announcement systems. Additional booking counters have been activated at Vadodara and Pratapnagar stations to streamline passenger entry and ticketing processes. Additional ticket checking staff and RPF personnel have also been deployed at each station for queue regulation, passenger assistance, and their security.

It was further informed that adequate covered holding capacity has been created at Vadodara station to comfortably seat waiting passengers before train departure. A secure space of over 300 square meters near platform number 6 has been arranged as a dedicated holding area. Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel are using walkie-talkies and body-worn cameras for seamless digital communication during duty to maintain effective coordination and ensure security. RPF is ensuring 24-hour surveillance through CCTV and monitoring of passenger movement. Additionally, a dedicated war room has been established in the divisional control office for real-time coordination and quick response to any situation.

Western Railway’s Vadodara Division appeals to passengers to use the designated holding area instead of crowding near platforms or entry gates, so that movement can be smoothly controlled during busy periods. Passengers are also requested to follow the guidelines of staff and security personnel on duty, as these arrangements have been made to ensure the safety, comfort, and convenience of all passengers.

Vadodara Division

The Vadodara Division is an administrative region within the Indian state of Gujarat, historically known as the Baroda Division. Its history is deeply intertwined with the Gaekwad dynasty of the Maratha Empire, which established the princely state of Baroda, with the city of Vadodara (Baroda) as its capital. The region is known for its rich cultural heritage, including the lavish Lakshmi Vilas Palace, and serves as a major industrial and educational hub in modern Gujarat.

Western Railway

The Western Railway in India is one of the country’s major railway zones, with its history tracing back to 1855 when the first train in the region ran between Bombay (now Mumbai) and Thane. It is a critical transportation network, historically vital for connecting the bustling port city of Mumbai with its hinterland and facilitating trade and commerce across western India.

Vadodara station

Vadodara Junction, also known as Vadodara Railway Station, is a major railway hub in the city of Vadodara, Gujarat. It was established during the 19th century as a key station on the Mumbai-Delhi route of the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (BB&CI). Today, it is one of the busiest and most important stations in Western India, known for its distinctive colonial-era architecture.

Pratapnagar station

Pratapnagar station is a railway station located in Vadodara (formerly Baroda), Gujarat, India, on the Western Railway line. It was established during the reign of Maharaja Pratap Singh Gaekwad, after whom it is named, and served the royal family’s palace located nearby. Today, it functions as a local station connecting Vadodara to other parts of the region.

Railway Protection Force (RPF)

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) is an armed security force in India, established by the Railway Protection Force Act of 1957, to protect railway passengers, passenger areas, and railway property. Its history dates back to the British era with the creation of various watch and ward systems, which were later consolidated into a single, specialized force under the Ministry of Railways.

divisional control office

A Divisional Control Office is a functional administrative facility, typically within a military or large corporate structure. Historically, in a military context, it served as a command and communications hub for a division, coordinating operations and logistics. Today, the term can refer to any central office that oversees and manages the activities of a specific division within an organization.

platform number 6

Platform 6 at King’s Cross Station in London is an ordinary railway platform, but it gained worldwide fame from J.K. Rowling’s *Harry Potter* series. In the books, it is the magical departure point for the Hogwarts Express, which students access by running through a magical barrier between platforms 9 and 10. While a fictional “Platform 9¾” with a luggage trolley disappearing into the wall has been installed as a tourist attraction, the real Platform 6 itself has no significant historical importance.

war room

The War Room typically refers to the Cabinet War Rooms, a historic underground complex in London that served as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s secret headquarters during World War II. Preserved as a museum today, the rooms were a protected bunker from which the Allied war effort was directed, remaining in use until the surrender of Japan in 1945. The site offers a glimpse into the strategic planning and tense atmosphere of the period.