Gurugram and Delhi-NCR railway stations are witnessing an immense surge of passengers heading home for the Holi festival on March 4. In the last five days, approximately 14 lakh people have moved out of the national capital region. General coaches in several trains are packed beyond capacity, forcing some travelers to stand near the doors. Railway authorities have deployed additional forces and introduced specific rules to manage this heavy traffic.
What are the new rules for Delhi and Gurugram stations?
To manage the unprecedented crowd, the Northern Railway has taken several steps to maintain order at major stations. Officials are focusing on safety to avoid any accidents during the peak rush period between February 25 and March 4.
- Platform Ticket Suspension: Sales of platform tickets are stopped at New Delhi, Old Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Anand Vihar, and Sarai Rohilla until March 3.
- Security Checkpoints: Gurugram police under Commissioner Vikas Kumar Arora have established 37 checkpoints to monitor railway station surroundings.
- Crowd Control: RPF personnel are helping passengers board general coaches in queues to prevent stampede-like situations.
- Holding Areas: Special pandals have been set up at stations to organize passengers before they are allowed onto the platforms.
How is the railway managing the extra crowd for Holi?
Indian Railways is operating a total of 1,244 Holi special train trips across the country to accommodate the extra demand. Northern Railway, led by General Manager Rajesh Kumar Pandey, is contributing around 500 of these special trips. CPRO Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay mentioned that 22 additional special trains were scheduled for March 3 alone to handle the peak surge. Despite these arrangements, trains like Ashram Express and Bihar-bound services saw passengers traveling on footboards due to the heavy rush inside the coaches. The railway is also monitoring demand in real-time to run unannounced special trains if needed.
