New Delhi Railway Station is preparing to reduce festive-season security queues by installing six modern baggage X-ray machines at the Ajmeri Gate-side entrance, along with a covered waiting area to protect passengers from sun and rain during checks.
The arrangement is being introduced ahead of the expected increase in passenger traffic during the festive period. According to a senior railway official cited by Live Hindustan, only two baggage X-ray machines were previously available on the route used by passengers with reserved tickets entering from the Ajmeri Gate side. This led to long queues when crowds increased.
The new machines will be installed under a newly built shelter outside the station’s main building. The railway has also widened the approach route towards the station to allow passengers to enter more easily during periods of heavy footfall. The shelter is intended to make the security-checking process more manageable during hot weather and rainfall.
The new X-ray machines are shorter than those used earlier, making it easier for passengers to place their luggage on the conveyor, particularly women and other travellers who may find it difficult to lift bags onto taller equipment. The railway has not specified in the report when all six machines will become operational.
The station is also planning a dedicated corridor on the Paharganj side during the festive season. Vehicles arriving through this direction will be able to reach the main building and exit through the designated route. The measure is intended to separate vehicle movement from the flow of passengers approaching the station.
Additional arrangements have been planned for unreserved passengers. Most unreserved trains leaving New Delhi Railway Station during the festive period are expected to depart from platform 16. Passengers will be able to reach the platform through the passenger-facilitation camp without using a foot overbridge. Entry to the platform will begin approximately 30 minutes before a train’s departure and will be restricted to passengers travelling in that direction.
The passenger-facilitation camp for unreserved travellers was prepared before Diwali last year and can accommodate more than 5,000 people at one time, according to the report. More than six baggage X-ray machines are already available at other parts of the station, where passengers undergo security checks before entering.
Railway authorities will also monitor ticket sales to determine where additional unreserved trains may be required. Special trains may be operated for routes recording higher demand. In addition, clone trains may be attached behind some daily trains to help manage passenger volumes at the station.
The measures indicate that the railway’s festive-season plan will combine expanded security-screening capacity, weather protection, separate access routes and platform-level crowd management. The Ajmeri Gate shelter and six new baggage X-ray machines are the immediate infrastructure additions announced for the station.
