As millions of migrant workers, students, and families across the National Capital Region prepare to journey home to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal for the grand celebrations of Diwali, Bhai Dooj, and Chhath Puja, Northern Railway has rolled out a sweeping security and crowd-regulation blueprint. In an urgent administrative measure aimed at preventing severe platform congestion and averting dangerous stampede-like situations, railway authorities have formally suspended the sale of platform tickets across six key railway stations serving Delhi and the surrounding NCR. The restriction took effect on November 3 and will remain firmly enforced through November 14, 2026, spanning the entire peak outbound festive window. Under these updated guidelines, general entry to station platforms is strictly restricted to bona fide passengers carrying valid, confirmed, or waitlisted travel tickets, closing the gates to casual visitors and non-traveling relatives who typically crowd station concourses during holiday send-offs.

The 6 Stations Under Complete Platform Ticket Lockdown

According to Northern Railway Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, the decision to halt platform tickets was taken after comprehensive safety reviews across high-density transit corridors. The six stations where platform ticket sales stand completely banned are New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS), Old Delhi Railway Station (Delhi Junction), Hazrat Nizamuddin, Anand Vihar Terminal, Anand Vihar Halt, and Ghaziabad Junction. To prevent any digital or automated workarounds, railway authorities have locked platform ticket issuance across all physical unreserved ticketing system (UTS) counters, mobile ticketing applications including the UTS app, and Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) installed across station premises. Commuters are advised not to visit station booking counters intending to buy platform entry slips, as security personnel stationed at all perimeter access gates will turn away anyone who cannot produce an authentic train travel ticket.

Special Exemptions: Relief for Elderly, Divyangjan, and Vulnerable Travelers

While the ban on platform tickets is stringent, Northern Railway has incorporated compassionate exemptions to ensure that vulnerable passengers are not left stranded without assistance. Railway staff and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel at entry points have been empowered to permit accompanying family members or attendants on a case-by-case basis. These official exemptions apply strictly to individuals assisting senior citizens, ailing or sick passengers, differently-abled travelers (Divyangjan), illiterate passengers who struggle to navigate signage, and women traveling alone with infants or heavy luggage who require physical support to reach their coaches. Authorities have clarified that attendants granted platform access under these humanitarian exceptions must coordinate with on-duty commercial supervisors and exit the platform immediately once their passenger is safely assisted into the designated carriage.

Permanent Passenger Holding Area: Ajmeri Gate Upgrades at New Delhi Station

A central highlight of this year’s festive crowd management plan is the commissioning of a permanent passenger holding area on the Ajmeri Gate side of New Delhi Railway Station, positioned strategically outside Platform Number 16. In previous festive seasons, the railway administration relied on temporary canvas shamianas and improvised tents that offered limited protection against weather changes and struggled to accommodate surging crowds. The newly constructed permanent holding facility operates under a solid roofed canopy, shielding travelers from shifting autumn weather while preventing bottlenecks at overhead foot overbridges (FOBs). This specialized infrastructure supplements the expansive 6,000-square-meter Passenger Facilitation Centre (Yatri Suvidha Kendra) inaugurated last year near the station. Outfitted with high-speed baggage scanners, multiple inquiry counters, digital display screens, clean drinking water dispensaries, and public address loudspeakers, the holding area ensures that passengers boarding unreserved and festival special trains are accommodated in organized queues and released to respective platforms in disciplined batches only when the train is fully positioned on the track.

Complete Freeze on Parcel Bookings to Decongest Platform Floors

In tandem with passenger movement controls, Northern Railway has clamped down on cargo logistics across major terminals. From November 3 to November 15, all commercial parcel bookings, leasing of parcel vans (VP), luggage compartments (SLR), and the physical loading or unloading of commercial consignments have been suspended at New Delhi, Old Delhi, and Anand Vihar Terminal. At Hazrat Nizamuddin, parcel bans will remain strictly enforced from November 5 to November 8. Moving heavy parcel trolleys, package stacks, and cargo carts along passenger platforms during peak departure hours poses severe safety hazards and chokes narrow walking passages. The only exceptions to this ban are registered newspapers, magazines, and essential postal mail. Passengers themselves are strictly restricted to carrying personal travel baggage, and security checks at station scanners are actively weeding out oversized commercial freight camouflaged as personal luggage.

Multi-Layered Security Deployment and Real-Time Surveillance

To prevent any recurrence of tragic stampedes that have historically shadowed Indian rail travel during peak festival rushes, an unprecedented multi-agency security perimeter has been erected across Delhi’s railway network. Heavy contingents of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF), and Delhi Government Railway Police (GRP) have been mobilized across platforms, entry gates, concourses, and foot overbridges. Integrated control rooms are monitoring high-definition CCTV feeds around the clock, utilizing automated crowd-density analytics to identify abnormal congestion near escalators and platform staircases. One-way directional passenger routing has been established at Anand Vihar and New Delhi, separating arriving passengers from departing crowds. Parametrical barricading and rope cordons prevent unauthorized crossings between railway tracks, while plainclothes security teams conduct constant rounds to deter pickpockets, touts, and unverified ticket vendors trying to exploit desperate holiday travelers.

Hundreds of Festival Special Trains and Operational Guidance

To handle the colossal travel volume heading east toward Gorakhpur, Patna, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Bhagalpur, Gaya, Varanasi, and Kolkata, Indian Railways has operationalized hundreds of festival special trains running round the clock from Delhi’s railway terminals. Unreserved general second-class coaches have been increased across regular express services, and mini-ticketing kiosks have been set up outside station complexes to speed up manual transactions. Northern Railway urges all passengers to arrive at stations at least two hours prior to scheduled departure times to complete mandatory baggage screening and holding-area checks smoothly. Travelers are encouraged to verify train status, platform assignments, and special train timetables via the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) or the RailMadad app before heading out, ensuring that their journey home for Diwali and Chhath remains safe, organized, and hassle-free.