MP News: Passenger Holding Areas To Be Developed At 76 Stations Across Country; Bhopal & Jabalpur In The List

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has approved a plan to develop passenger holding areas at 76 railway stations across the country.

Under this initiative, Bhopal, Jabalpur, and Kota stations of the West Central Railway have been included.

The decision follows the successful implementation of such a facility at New Delhi Railway Station, where large crowds were effectively managed during festive occasions like Diwali and Chhath.

The minister stated that these passenger holding areas will be designed in a modular format, keeping in mind the local conditions of each station. The project aims to enhance passenger convenience, safety and travel experience.

Vaishnaw has directed that all holding areas be completed before the 2026 festive season.

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Saurabh Kataria said that introducing this facility at Bhopal station will help ease platform congestion and ensure smoother train operations.

Recently, during Diwali, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was seen interacting with passengers inside trains. He was seen taking feedback on their travel experience amid the festive rush.

Sharing details on X (formerly Twitter), the minister said officials studied historical traffic patterns, analysed passenger surge data and established coordination mechanisms to ensure smooth travel.

He added that passenger holding areas were created at more than 70 stations and ticketing facilities enhanced at over 100 stations.

Control rooms at division, zone, and board levels are operational round-the-clock - even on Diwali - to monitor special train movements.

All of this helped the passengers reach their destinations safely during the festive rush.

Published on: Friday, October 31, 2025, 05:36 PM IST