Indian Railways introduces permanent holding area at New Delhi Station to manage festival crowds

Indian Railways is setting up a permanent holding area near the Ajmeri Gate side of New Delhi Station to manage passenger flow during peak festival seasons such as Chhath, Holi and Diwali by keeping crowds outside station and platforms, ensuring access control where only ticketed passengers enter platforms before arrival of specific trains.

This pre-ticketing area is designed to hold thousands of passengers and willbhave amenities such as drinking water, food stalls, mobile toilets, lighting and fans.

There will be a dedicated public address system for information.

The initiative aims to prevent platform overcrowding and enhance passenger safety, drawing on experiences from managing large crowds during previous festivals and events like the Mahakumbh.

The initiative has been taken as a pilot after the fatal stampede during Maha Kumbh at NDLS.