Vaishnaw okays plan to develop permanent passenger holding areas at 76 rail stations

New Delhi | Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday approved a plan to develop permanent passenger holding areas at 76 stations across the country to streamline the movement of people with general tickets.

Some of these stations are Mumbai CSMT, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Nagpur, Nashik Road, Pune, Dadar, Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol, Bhagalpur, Jasidih, Kanpur, Virangana Lakshmi Bai Jhansi, Mathura, and Agra Cantonment stations.

"The new holding areas planned across the country will follow a modular design and will be constructed keeping in view local conditions. The Union minister has directed that all holding areas should be completed well before the 2026 festival season," a press note from the ministry said.

"This decision was taken following the success of the passenger holding area at New Delhi Railway Station," it added.

The railway ministry had ordered the construction of a permanent holding area after 18 passengers were killed in a stampede at the New Delhi railway station on February 15.

Officials said the New Delhi railway station managed the extremely heavy rush of passengers during Diwali and Chhath with the help of its newly developed holding area, which was completed within four months.

"The Yatri Suvidha Kendra (Permanent Holding Area) at New Delhi Railway Station is designed to accommodate approximately 7,000 passengers at any given time, significantly enhancing pre-boarding comfort and passenger flow," the ministry said.

It added, "The facility is strategically divided into three zones — Pre-Ticketing, Ticketing, and Post-Ticketing — to streamline passenger movement. The New Delhi station holding area is equipped with 150 toilets, each for men and women, ticket counters, automatic ticket vending machines, and free RO water facilities."