In view of the upcoming auspicious occasion of the Navratri festival—and anticipating the heavy influx of devotees arriving for Darshan of Mata Vaishno Devi, as well as the consequent overcrowding at stations—the Jammu Division has implemented comprehensive security and passenger amenity arrangements. To ensure the smooth movement of passengers and to manage the crowds effectively, special teams of ‘Scouts and Guides’ have been deployed across the division’s railway stations.
During Navratri, major stations such as Jammu and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra experience a heavy volume of passenger traffic. To manage this situation, trained Scouts and Guides have been deployed on the front lines.
Their primary responsibilities include the following tasks:
Ensuring orderly queues of passengers at platforms and at entry/exit gates.
Providing information regarding the correct platforms and trains to devotees—particularly the elderly, persons with disabilities, and women.
Coordinating with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP) in the event of any medical emergencies or inconveniences caused by overcrowding.
Preventing crowds from congregating in one specific area at stations to ensure that there are no obstructions to passenger movement.
Commenting on this arrangement—which aims to facilitate and guide incoming passengers and devotees—Uchit Singhal, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, stated: “The discipline demonstrated by the Scouts and Guides deployed in the Jammu Division will be instrumental in managing the passenger crowds. Furthermore, they will play a crucial role in providing train-related information to passengers and, specifically, in assisting the elderly.”
The Railway Administration requests all pilgrims to maintain patience during their journey, to minimize the amount of heavy luggage they carry, and to strictly adhere to the instructions issued by the Scouts, Guides, and security personnel deployed at the stations. The safety and convenience of our passengers remain our utmost priority.
Meanwhile, an elaborate security cover has been deployed across the 13 kms trek leading to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine during the Chaitra Navratras.
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) CEO Sachin Kumar Vaishya said the entire shrine area, including the Bhawan and surrounding premises, have been decorated with flowers ahead of the nine-day festival.
The footfall of pilgrims this year has cropssed 15 lakh, and it is believed that the yatra will further increase in the coming days, Vaishya told reporters.
The CEO said that multi-layer security arrangements have been made with personnel from the CRPF, J&K Police, Shrine Board security staff, and the Army deployed in strength. An Integrated Command and Control Centre is functioning round the-clock, and high-tech CCTV cameras have been installed to keep constant watch on the situation, he said.
The CEO said priority is being given to devotees with disabilities, and free battery car service, as well as pony service, like previous years, will be provided to them.