The Railway Ministry has announced that they will establish 'holding areas' in various stations as part of its preparation as they expect a surge in Maha Kumbh pilgrims during the final week of the religious congregation in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.
This comes days after a stampede at the New Delhi Railway station claimed 18 lives. According to authorities, confusion over almost identical train names after an announcement of platform number for an arriving Prayagraj-bound special train sparked panic and a sudden rush leading to the tragedy.
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In a statement on Thursday, the railway ministry urged passengers to cooperate and adhere to official guidelines to ensure smooth and safe travel operations.
"Passengers are allowed to enter the platforms based on the scheduled departure times of their trains. This initiative aims to improve crowd management and enhance passenger safety, especially during peak hours and festive seasons," the ministry said.
What Are Holding Areas? Where Will These Be Set Up?
The holding areas are located outside the platforms to help control the flow of passengers and prevent overcrowding.
Ministry officials, according to PTI are of the view that such holding areas and crowd management measures are already in place in railway stations in Prayagraj to ensure greater convenience of passengers while boarding trains.
The railways have established holding areas at various stations in Northern Railway, North Central Railway, North Eastern Railway and East Central Railway.
The major holding areas have been set up by the Northern Railway in -Ghaziabad, Anand Vihar, New Delhi, Ayodhya Dham and Banaras.
The North Eastern Railway has also created holding areas at Banaras, Siwan, Ballia, Deoria, Chhapra and Gorakhpur.
The ministry said that similar initiatives have also been taken by East Central Railway and North Central Railway.
