Special measures by Northern and Western Railways to control crowd during Diwali and Chhath Puja

According to reports by Hindustan Times and TV9 Gujarati, on the occasion of Diwali, Bhai Dooj, and Chhath festivals, a massive crowd of passengers is turning up at Delhi's main railway stations to go to their native places, keeping which in mind, special crowd-control measures have been implemented by Northern Railway, two senior railway officials informed. These measures have been taken to prevent stampede-like incidents at the railway stations and to keep passenger movement orderly.

According to the officials, a permanent passenger holding area has been prepared outside platform number 16 towards Ajmeri Gate at the New Delhi Railway Station. This permanent holding area is equipped with baggage scanners and adequate Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel are being deployed to ensure the smooth movement of passengers. According to a senior Northern Railway official, this new permanent holding area is in addition to the 6,000 square meter 'Yatri Suvidha Kendra' launched at the New Delhi Railway Station on October 11 last year. Passengers reaching the New Delhi Railway Station from the Ajmeri Gate side will directly come under the roof of this new holding area.

To cope with the extra crowd, festival special trains are being run by the railway authorities, and the number of such special trains will be increased this week. Due to the heavy rush of passengers traveling in trains heading to Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha, the sale of platform tickets at the capital's railway stations has been temporarily suspended. In addition, temporary restrictions have also been imposed on parcel traffic.

These measures have been taken after the incident that occurred at the New Delhi Railway Station on February 15 last year, in which 18 people including four children and 11 women died in a stampede on the stairs connecting platforms 14 and 15 during the Maha Kumbh Mela.

Northern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay has stated that the sale of platform tickets has been suspended from November 3 (Tuesday) to November 14 at New Delhi, Old Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Ghaziabad, Anand Vihar Terminal railway stations, and Anand Vihar Halt. Appropriate exemptions from the platform ticket restriction will be given to persons accompanying elderly, sick, divyang, illiterate, and women passengers.

Due to the possibility of extra festival rush, restrictions have been placed on departmental bookings from November 3 to November 15. The loading and unloading of all types of parcels will be prohibited from November 5 to November 15 at New Delhi, Old Delhi, and Anand Vihar Terminal railway stations. However, loading and unloading at the washing line and stabling line of Anand Vihar Terminal will continue during the entire restriction period.

At Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, except for loading and unloading at the station's VP siding, departmental bookings and parcel loading-unloading will be prohibited from November 5 to November 15. The Chief Public Relations Officer added that at Hazrat Nizamuddin, passengers will be allowed to carry personal luggage only in passenger coaches, and booking of registered newspapers and magazines will be permitted keeping public safety in mind.

Western Railway has also decided to suspend the sale of platform tickets at 6 stations until November 15 to control the festival rush and ensure passenger safety during Diwali and Chhath Puja. The sale of platform tickets has been suspended at specified stations by Western Railway from November 1 to November 15, 2026. During this restricted period, people coming to drop or receive passengers will not be able to buy platform tickets, though passengers holding valid train tickets are allowed to enter.

During Diwali and Chhath Puja, the number of passengers in trains heading towards Uttar Pradesh and Bihar increases, which creates a situation of crowd and pushing at the stations. To handle the massive rush of passengers during the festivals, special holding areas equipped with lights, fans, drinking water, and toilets have been prepared at Ahmedabad's Kalupur and Sabarmati railway stations. At the stations in Ahmedabad, with the help of additional security personnel and CCTV cameras, passengers are instructed to wait in designated areas before the arrival of the train and proceed to the platforms in a phased manner.