Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed festive preparations at New Delhi Railway Station, introducing new holding areas, AI surveillance, and 18,000 special trains to manage the anticipated surge of two crore passengers this festive season.

Railway Minister Reviews New Delhi Station Preparations

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday reviewed preparations for the upcoming festival season at New Delhi Railway Station (Ajmeri Gate side), highlighting arrangements to manage the expected rush of passengers, including dedicated holding areas, additional security deployment and AI-enabled cameras.

Speaking to reporters after the review, Vaishnaw said a dedicated holding area had been created for passengers with reserved tickets to streamline entry and boarding arrangements at the station. "At the New Delhi Railway Station, we have established a dedicated holding area for reserved passengers. Previously, passengers often faced confusion due to the use of six separate entry gates; now, this has been streamlined into a common area," he said.

Enhanced Infrastructure and Crowd Control

He added that luggage-checking facilities had been shifted outside, allowing the former ticketing area to be converted into a waiting space for passengers. "These holding areas have been designed with the goal of ensuring that passengers can board their trains with minimal delay," the minister said.

Vaishnaw said more than 700 AI-enabled cameras had been installed this year to monitor passenger movement and manage crowds. "This allows us to redistribute crowds where necessary and take immediate action in areas where there is a risk of overcrowding," he said.

Record Special Trains for Festival Rush

The minister said approximately two crore people were expected to travel by rail from the Delhi region during the festival season. He added that while around 12,000 special trains had operated during last year's festival season, approximately 18,000 special trains had been arranged this year to cater to passengers travelling during Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath.

Vaishnaw also said additional special trains and RPF deployment had been arranged to manage the increased passenger movement during peak hours. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)