NEW DELHI: With Chhath Puja and the Bihar election around the corner, the New Delhi railway station is gearing up for a massive rush of passengers heading majorly to Bihar, along with eastern Uttar Pradesh and nearby areas.
The station administration has set up special holding areas and a three-tier structure of entry zones, including pre-ticketing, ticketing and post-ticketing sections, to manage the crowd.
Most of these arrangements have been made around Platform No. 16, towards the Ajmeri Gate side, from where most Bihar bound trains depart.
This strategic move of installing holding areas at the entrance of the station near Platform No. 16 has come in the wake of lessons learned from the overcrowding incident in February this year when stampede of passengers wanting to board the trains for the Kumbh Mela took place at the New Delhi railway station.
The stampede had killed 18 people, while 15 were injured. Experts had highlighted that poor crowd management had led to the chaos. The new holding area is designed to keep the crowds away from platforms until the arrival of specific trains, and only those with the tickets will be allowed inside, ensuring that only ticketed passengers gain access at the right time.
“Equipped with modern facilities, such as a waiting lounge, clean washrooms and clear signage, the space will offer comfort to passengers during their wait. This time, around 120 personnel of the Railway Protection Force have been deployed to ensure smooth operations and passenger safety,” said Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, chief public relations officer, Northern Railway.
He said that the first zone, termed the pre-ticketing zone, is equipped with “May I Help You” counters for people who wish to enquire about trains and their timings. This zone will have washroom facility and eatery stalls.
From there, travelers go to the ticketing zone to purchase their tickets, which will have 41 ticket counters and 25 automatic vending machines.
After buying tickets, travellers go to the post-ticketing zone, where they are subjected to a security check via metal detectors. From there, they can enter Platform No. 16, from where most east-bound trains depart. “This platform is easily accessible as there is no need to use a foot overbridge to access it,” Upadhyay said.
Ashwini Vaishnaw reviews arrangements at station
Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Wednesday conducted a surprise inspection of New Delhi Railway Station to review crowd management and passenger facilities amid the festive rush.
During his visit, the minister inspected the control room on Platform No. 1, which monitors real-time activities across the station. He later interacted with passengers on Platforms No. 12 and 13 to understand their travel experience and gather feedback on services. Vaishnaw also met sleeper-class passengers aboard the Amrit Bharat Express stationed at Platform No. 16, and visited the Yatri Suvidha Kendra to review amenities and hear passenger suggestions directly
