NEW DELHI: The Paharganj side of New Delhi Railway Station has descended into near paralysis yet again amid ongoing redevelopment work outside Platform 1, exposing a glaring lack of planning and traffic management at one of the capital’s busiest transit hubs.
What was once disorderly is now choked and gridlocked. Commuters said they spend up to 25 minutes navigating the approach road, now narrowed by barricades and construction activity. Vehicles are forced to stop at a distance, leaving passengers to drag luggage through congested and unsafe stretches to reach the station.
The situation worsens during peak hours. For passengers catching morning trains such as the 7.40 am Kalka Shatabdi, reaching the Paharganj entry at least 30 minutes in advance has become essential just to make it inside on time. The right turn towards the station entrance has been shut, forcing vehicles into a long U-turn loop.
Those arriving from the Connaught Place side are often dropped off on the opposite carriageway towards Sadar Bazar, requiring them to cross a chaotic stretch of road with buses, autos and cabs, without traffic signals or police presence to regulate movement.
Porters have emerged as the only navigators through the mess, but at a steep cost. Commuters said porters are charging a minimum of `350 to ferry luggage from the Paharganj entrance to Platform 1, with an additional `150 to place baggage inside train coaches.
Those needing assistance to cross the road and enter the station are reportedly paying up to `500. Scenes outside the station reflect mounting distress, with people seen carrying children on their shoulders and hauling suitcases through traffic to reach the entrance safely.
Sanjana Sood, a regular commuter, said she now avoids the Paharganj side. “Whenever I have to take a Shatabdi from Platform 2, I prefer coming from the Ajmeri Gate side. It is easier to walk across 14 platforms than wait endlessly outside the Paharganj entrance. The journey becomes exhausting even before it begins,” she said.
Another commuter, Naved Khan, who was travelling with his family, said the lack of basic management has made the entry dangerous. “There is no police, no signal, nothing. We were standing for 10 minutes just to cross the road with luggage and children. It feels risky and completely unorganised,” he said. The congestion has worsened after blue tin sheets were installed to cordon off the construction area, narrowing already limited access points to Platforms 1 and 2.
Officials said the redevelopment plan includes an elevated road network around the station and two large station buildings on the Paharganj and Ajmeri Gate sides. However, platforms have not yet been taken up for renovation, with officials indicating that the current focus remains on other projects, including Chandigarh.
Porters charging minimum of `350 to ferry luggage
Porters have emerged as the only navigators through the mess, but at a steep cost. Commuters said porters are charging a minimum of `350 to ferry luggage from the Paharganj entrance to Platform 1, with an additional `150 to place baggage inside train coaches. Those needing assistance to cross the road and enter the station are reportedly paying up to `500. Scenes outside the station reflect mounting distress.
