RITES to design permanent holding area at New Delhi Railway Station
New Delhi: The Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) has been entrusted with the task of designing permanent holding areas at major railway stations, including New Delhi Railway Station, as part of an effort to streamline passenger movement and enhance crowd management.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the decision following a meeting with the RITES team, led by its Chairperson Rahul Mittal, on Wednesday.
The initiative aims to prevent overcrowding at key transit points, particularly in high-traffic stations.
According to the Railway Ministry, RITES will initially design holding areas at New Delhi Railway Station, Anand Vihar, Ghaziabad, Varanasi, and Ayodhya — all major hubs witnessing heavy passenger footfall.
These designated spaces will help regulate crowd flow, ensuring safer and more organised boarding and deboarding processes.
“Once the model is finalised, it will be expanded to 60 high-density footfall railway stations across the country,” the Ministry said in a statement.
All unauthorised access points to these stations will also be permanently closed to improve security and streamline movement.
The holding areas will be seamlessly integrated into the Amrit Stations Redevelopment Programme, a flagship initiative aimed at modernising key railway stations with better infrastructure, enhanced passenger amenities, and improved safety measures.
The move comes in the wake of the recent tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, which resulted in the deaths of over 18 people and left more than a dozen injured.
In response to the tragedy, the Railway Ministry has announced a series of crowd management reforms to prevent similar incidents in the future.
According to the Ministry, advanced monitoring systems will be implemented to track passenger density, particularly during train delays. Specialised training will be given to local railway officials in situational awareness and crisis management.
Stronger enforcement of entry and exit protocols to regulate station access is also on the cards.
The Ministry emphasised that these reforms are part of a broader strategy to improve passenger safety, optimise station operations, and ensure smooth transit at some of India’s busiest railway hubs.