Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has approved a plan to construct permanent passenger holding areas at 75 more railway stations across the country, including several key terminals in Mumbai on Thursday . The new facilities are aimed at improving crowd management and passenger comfort, especially during peak travel seasons.
According to a senior Western Railway official, the new holding areas will be developed at 75 more stations of Indian Railways following the successful implementation of a similar project at New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS). The list includes six stations under Central Railway — Mumbai CSMT, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), Dadar, Nagpur, Nashik Road, and Pune — and eight under Western Railway, including Mumbai Central, Bandra Terminus, Udhna, Surat, Ahmedabad, Ujjain, Vadodara, and Sehore.
The Railway Minister has directed that all these permanent holding areas be completed before the 2026 festive season, officials said.
The decision to expand such facilities nationwide follows the February 2025 stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, in which several people lost their lives and over a dozen were injured. The tragedy occurred when an unexpected surge of passengers waiting for trains to Prayagraj — where the Maha Kumbh Mela was underway — led to overcrowding.
Following the incident, New Delhi Railway station was chosen as a pilot project for the construction of a permanent holding area, which was completed within four months. The facility has since proved effective in handling passenger rush smoothly during festivals and peak travel times.
Railway officials said the new holding areas will feature a modular design tailored to local conditions. Each facility will be equipped with ample seating, toilet facilities, “May I Help You” booths, ticket scan counters for general booking, medical booths, enquiry counters, drinking water facilities, and train indicator displays.
To ensure safety and efficiency, the holding zones will be divided into ticketed and non-ticketed areas, with enhanced crowd control and security arrangements.
“These permanent holding areas will help passengers wait comfortably and will significantly improve crowd management at busy stations,” the official added.
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