Indian Railways’ War Room: Indian Railways is using AI-based systems, live CCTV feeds and real-time operational data to monitor railway stations and manage the rush of passengers during Diwali and Chhath Puja. On Saturday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the functioning of the War Room at Rail Bhawan in New Delhi, where officials monitor multiple railway stations, track train movements and delays, and assess passenger-related issues to ensure smoother operations and better crowd management.The War Room serves as a centralised monitoring and coordination facility, allowing railway officials to keep an eye on several stations at the same time. Live CCTV feeds cover important areas such as platforms, foot-over bridges, and station surroundings. The facility also allows officials to zoom in on individual camera feeds to closely examine specific locations and assess situations.AI-based systems further support the real-time monitoring process by helping officials analyse activities and incidents at different locations and initiate timely responses.Also Read | Indian Railways steps up festive rush management; Delhi stations handle 8 lakh passengers dailyApart from crowd management, the War Room also helps officials track train movements and delays in real time. By identifying disruptions and analysing their causes, officials can take corrective measures to improve punctuality and ensure smoother train operations.During the review, Vaishnaw also highlighted the steps taken by Indian Railways to manage the festive rush this year, including the operation of more than 18,000 special trains, compared to around 12,000 last year.Also Read | Amid festive rush, New Delhi Railway Station gets separate entry and exit gates for reserved, unreserved passengersThe minister said that 28 railway stations across the country are being monitored through the War Room at Rail Bhawan. These include New Delhi, Anand Vihar Terminal, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Secunderabad, SMVT Bengaluru, MGR Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Mumbai Central, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, CSMT Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Udhna, Pune, Varanasi, Banaras, Gorakhpur, Sealdah, Howrah, Jaipur, Dadar, Nagpur and Vijayawada, among others.Apart from these, War Rooms have also been established at major stations, where officers from all departments work in coordination to manage crowd situations.Story continues below this adThe Railways has also made arrangements for dedicated passenger holding areas at around 20 stations, along with separate ticket counters and multiple scanning facilities to ensure smooth passenger movement. Around 700 AI-enabled cameras are also being used for monitoring.The Railway Minister said that preparations for the festive rush began nearly six months in advance, with special attention to the expected increase in passenger numbers ahead of Chhath Puja.