Sale of Platform Tickets Suspended at Anand Vihar, New Delhi Railway Stations to Manage Overcrowding

The sale of platform tickets at New Delhi and Anand Vihar railway stations has been discontinued temporarily as a precautionary measure for better managing crowd on the occasion of Diwali and Chhat.

The suspension on sale of platform tickets will be in effect from November 13 to November 18. However, those coming to the stations to assist those — elderly, illiterate, etc., — who cannot manage by themselves, will be exempted from this restriction.

Example of the festive rush chaos was seen on Saturday when that rush led to a stampede-like situation at Surat railway station, killing one person. Several others, who were injured, were admitted to the hospital for treatment.

Many passengers were also left stranded after not being able to board the train due to the crowd.

Superintendent of Police, Western Railway (Vadodara Division), Sarojini Kumar ensured that a special train gets arranged to ferry those who were “left” at the station in the incident.

Meanwhile, Indian Railways, once again faced criticism for poor handling of the festival rush as ridership increased significantly in view of Diwali festivities. Several videos circulating on social media showed jampacked trains and overcrowded railway platforms leaving many passengers stranded.

On Saturday, massive crowds were seen thronging the Anand Vihar Railway station and bus stands as people rushed to head to their hometowns for Diwali and Chhat festivals.