Passengers travelling through Ujjain Railway Station will face major changes from February 10, as the railway administration has reassigned platforms for 31 trains arriving and departing from the station. Under the new arrangement, seven trains will operate from platform number eight, while four trains have been shifted to platform number seven.
The decision is expected to significantly affect devotees visiting the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple. Platforms 7 and 8 are located at the Nagda end of the station, from where passengers must walk a considerable distance to reach the main station building and Indore Gate. The absence of elevators and escalators at this end may cause serious inconvenience to elderly passengers, women, and those carrying heavy luggage.
Ratlam Division Public Relations Officer Mukesh Kumar said the changes were made in the interest of passenger convenience, smooth movement, and to ensure balanced use of all platforms. He explained that the move aims to reduce increasing passenger pressure on platform number one and improve crowd management at the station.
Ujjain station handles around 76 passenger trains daily and witnesses heavy footfall due to devotees travelling to the Mahakaleshwar Temple. With several trains now arriving at platforms 7 and 8, passengers will need to walk towards platform number one for exits, which may lead to congestion and disorder, especially during peak pilgrimage periods.
Several major trains have been assigned new platforms. The Indore Shaheed Captain Tushar Mahajan Superfast Express and Kamakhya-Dr Ambedkar Nagar Express will now arrive at platform number five instead of six. The Nagpur-Indore Superfast Express and Prayagraj-Dr Ambedkar Nagar Express have been shifted to platform number six from five.
The Gandhidham-Indore Superfast Express will now use platform number five instead of one. Meanwhile, the Indore-Mumbai Central Express, Indore-Daund Express, and Indore-Asarwa Express have been moved to platform number eight. Platforms of several other superfast and express trains, including Mannargudi-Jodhpur, Madurai-Bikaner, Gwalior-Daund, and Thiruvananthapuram-Indore trains, have also been changed.
In addition, platforms for 12 passenger and MEMU trains have been reassigned. Local services such as Nagda-Ujjain, Ujjain-Ratlam, Ujjain-Indore, Bhopal-Ujjain, and Chittorgarh-Ujjain will now operate from new platforms.
The railway administration has advised passengers to check updated train and platform information before starting their journey to avoid inconvenience.