• Source:JND
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With the festive season of Diwali and Chhath Puja approaching, a surge of passengers is expected at railway stations over the next few days as people travel to their hometowns. Managing this crowd, especially at the typically congested New Delhi Railway Station and Anand Vihar Terminal, presents a significant challenge for railway authorities. To address this, several crowd management measures are being implemented.

To reduce overcrowding on platforms, a new holding area (facility center) has been constructed near the Ajmeri Gate side of the New Delhi Railway Station. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, along with Member of Parliament Manoj Tiwari, recently inspected the new facility. A few days prior, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had also visited the site.

Northern Railway's General Manager, Ashok Kumar Verma, briefed the Chief Minister on the newly built facility and other crowd management strategies. The holding area has a seating capacity of 7,000 passengers and is equipped with essential amenities, including toilets, drinking water, ticket counters, and a public announcement system.

The primary purpose of the facility is to hold passengers before their scheduled train departure, allowing them to be directed to the platforms in a timely and organised manner to prevent congestion.

For security, 18 CCTV cameras have been installed within the center. To screen passengers and their belongings, five door-frame metal detectors and five luggage scanners have also been put in place. These measures are expected to significantly reduce crowding at the station's entry gates and on the platforms.

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A sufficient number of Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and other railway staff are being deployed to manage the area.

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The Chief Minister stated that passengers will not face any inconvenience in reaching their homes during the festival. Delhi Divisional Railway Manager Pushpesh R Tripathi and other railway officials were also present during the inspection.